A Breath in the Quiet of Twilight
by Shirosenshi Kisetsu 116
Summary: The hero of Twilight was getting too old for this shit. This place was beyond weird. There were huge mechanical creatures chasing them at every turn. That Zora Prince was...big. The monsters were something out of a nightmare. The Master Sword was larger than its wielder, and his travel companion searched daily to find the tallest mountain in the area just so he could jump off it.
1. Chapter 1

I knew I'd end up writing something for this game. It was only a matter of time.

Hope some of you get a kick out of this like I did.

Enjoy.

* * *

" _I don't know how I get myself in these situations."_

Link resisted the urge to snap at the plant lying in front of him. He stopped himself before he did though; knowing his luck it was probably poisonous.

" _Here I am, traveling the countryside in my wolf form. I'm looking high and low for the hero who's supposed to be saving the world from Calamity. I finally find him battling some great hulking creature that looks half horse half…cat…He destroys it even though he's about the size of its foot. And then, without even appearing to think about it, he jumps off the damn mountain."_

He looked down that the huge lake that the Hero had dove into moments before. With his enhanced vision he could see the little shit reaching the land before jogging off to find some other way to get himself killed.

The great mechanical-looking beast in the middle of the lake let out a cry that was loud enough to shake the land he was standing on. The thing was probably the hero's next target, seeing as the boy seemed to have no value in his own life.

" _I need to get to the Master Sword. If I touch it, it should be strong enough to break this curse."_

And then he could…Try to find a way back to his own world?

He wasn't even sure exactly where he was. He only knew what he'd been told by the Hero of Time's shade after he'd woken up in a destroyed Hyrule castle.

He honestly couldn't remember how he'd found himself in the situation he was in now. He vaguely remembered finding something Shad called a 'time gate' and a bright flash of light before there was...

Pain.

Darkness.

And then he woke up, somehow in his wolf form.

" _I'm too old for this horse shit. The Goddesses need to move on and leave me out of any more world altering destinies."_

The wolf problem he was fairly certain could be solved by the Master Sword. He knew the hero he was chasing down had it because the few times the child had stayed still long enough he saw it on his back. The problem was getting close enough to the hero without having the Master Sword turned on him. Link had seen a fair amount of aggressive wolves in the area to know that he wouldn't be well received if he just walked right up to the boy with a wagging tail.

Link wasn't dumb enough to chance a jump in his wolf form, so he began the tedious task of making his way back down the mountain. At least then he could try to come up with a plan on how to approach the hero without getting killed.

His body wasn't exactly made for climbing down steep slopes, so instead he jumped into the water to ride the waterfalls down. It didn't matter that he got soaked, the non-stop rain already served to make him miserable anyway.

The waterfall was a good (albeit somewhat dangerous) idea that got him to the base of the mountain quickly. From there it was up the stairs alongside a giant dam to where he could hear the beast roaring beyond.

By the time he reached the top however, he still hadn't come up with any ideas and his patience was riding thin.

There was a small dock with a bed (?) and another dock that went further out into the ravine. He padded his way to the end, his eyes not missing how the hero was currently riding on the back of a large Zora.

Link actually stopped in shock when he saw the hero launch himself off the Zora, swim UP the waterfall flowing from the beast and then shoot a strange arrow at the mammoth thing.

" _Am I even going to be able to get a chance to get close to this hero if he dies in this crazy battle?"_

Link wanted to give the kid the benefit of the doubt though. In his younger days he'd taken on his share fair of giant monsters. The hero would probably be fine.

Probably.

When the beast started shooting out giant ice blocks he started to feel less confident.

It was strange though, seeing a hero of a different age (or world) taking on a task like this. He wondered if anyone watching the things he did would have the same reaction he was having.

" _The old ghost was most likely in shock every time I showed up again to learn a new technique. He probably thought I had a death wish too."_

Link silently cheered on the younger hero, not only because he needed him, but because he knew how _hard_ it was. He cringed when a block of ice hit the two warriors, blasting the small boy off the Zora's back. He quickly recovered though, and they went back to their attack.

" _The cycle really doesn't end I guess…Ganondorf was right."_

The hero launched himself up again and shot another strange arrow at the armored beast. The responding roar it let out was louder than the previous ones and Link pinned his ears to his head in discomfort.

The ground shook violently again, but this time it was because the monster was lowering itself into the water, like it had lost the ability to stand. Link couldn't see the hero, but he hoped he hadn't been crushed under the belly of the giant.

It only stayed low to the water for a brief few minutes before rising back to its feet.

" _So it's not over yet then? Maybe it's getting a second wind."_

But the Zora who had been with the hero returned without him and Link felt his heart sink into his feet.

The red Zora jumped out of the water with a flip and landed on the dock with way more show than was necessary. Link briefly thought about running seeing as the Zora could attack him if he felt threatened, but the size of the fish made him freeze.

" _That…Is not a normal size."_

Link was short in his Hylian form (not that he liked to admit it) but he couldn't see himself coming up to the guy's chest. He could have been taller than Ganondorf.

The Zora smiled at him and crouched down to get a better look at him. "Oh aren't you a pretty wolf. I've never seen one of your kind so bold as to get this close to Vah Ruta before. You must be very brave."

Link could feel one ear bend back as he regarded the Zora with wolf confusing. Not only was the guy not attacking him or running in fear, he was standing there talking to him like he did it every day.

Still confused but not arguing, Link allowed his tail to wag a couple times in a show of friendliness before the beast roared again and the both of them flinched.

He turned his attention back to the thing known as 'Vah Ruta' and whined quietly. He didn't know what it meant when the spout on the thing's face started to move slowly.

The Zora seemed concerned though, he was standing straight with his attention fully on the beast. "I do hope he'll be alright. I don't think I would be able to sleep again knowing I sent the Champion to his death."

" _Champion?"_

That was different. At least he knew the kid was still alive.

He hoped the Zora would continue to talk, but the large man went completely silent. His eyes never left Vah Ruta, and if Link was being honest, the Zora looked a bit ill.

The two of them watched in silence, the only sound coming from the beast who moved its appendage every once in a while. At some point, Link thought he saw the kid climbing on the part that was moving before jumping off toward Vah Ruta's head but he hoped not.

Light from the setting sun finally made him realize just how long they had been sitting watching the whole thing. And it wasn't until the light had sunk far below the horizon and the moon rose high in the sky before another monstrous cry came from inside Vah Ruta and echoed off the mountain walls.

"Ah…" The Zora said quietly. "It seems as though the champion is now facing the beast within."

Link wasn't sure what that meant, but it couldn't have been good.

Quickly following the cries came the sound of a battle. If Link hadn't been a wolf he would have had a hard time hearing the sound of a sword making contact with something metal. He could also hear the monster that was screaming attacking with its own weapon.

And the voice of a…woman?

The battle lasted no more than ten minutes and he wasn't sure if that was good or bad. But then there was another cry and Link knew from experience that it was an agonized death cry.

The little hero was victorious.

The tension eased from the Zora standing beside him, and he heard the man let out a relieved sigh.

"I can't believe it," the Zora was grinning like a madman. "He did it! I must return to father and tell him the news!"

Link wasn't quick enough to dodge the large hand that found his head and ruffled his fur. He didn't even have time to snap at the boisterous Zora as he ran on his short legs down the length of the dock with another cheer, his excitement almost making him fumble and fall.

" _Strange fellow, I hope he doesn't hurt himself."_

A bright light emerging from Vah Ruta drew his attention, and as he watched it landed in the domain for the Zora. It was the hero, he was sure of it, but he knew he couldn't walk right into the home place of the Zora. The rest of the Zora were less likely to be eccentric like the large red one.

" _I can at least travel to the entrance to the village and see if I can cross paths with the hero."_

He still wasn't sure what would happen when they did cross paths, but at this point he was thinking of just winging it.

Luckily the hero, or champion as he was referred to, would probably be staying the night with the Zora so he knew he had enough time to make to the entrance with some to spare.

Link's stomach growled then so loudly he almost jumped. He needed to find something to eat as well.

There wasn't much to eat in the area unfortunately, he discovered as he climbed carefully down the side of the nearby mountain. The goats were built to run on the rocky ledges without trouble, something Link was not able to do. He also wasn't used to his wolf form, and it would take some practice to be able to run one down.

Frogs weren't very appetizing, and he didn't even know what the white spider-looking things were supposed to be.

He did however come across a camp of what looked like some Lizalfos creatures. They were grilling some fish next to the fire and Link felt his belly clench painfully at the sight.

Luckily the monsters were either dumb or just not quick as he ran into the camp and snatched up one of the fish. He took off like a damn thief and managed to burn his mouth on the steaming fish, but once he was clear away from the camp, he ate.

The rain had stopped when the hero entered Vah Ruta, so he was finally able to dry off, a luxury that he didn't know he'd appreciate. Now dry and less hungry, Link curled up under a patch of bushes at the end of Luto's Crossing.

If the hero was going to leave Zora's Domain, he would come across the bridge at some point.

So with his ears alert for any sounds, Link allowed himself to drift off.

If only for a little while.

-(|-

The sound of someone moving carefully up the path toward him woke him from his sleep.

The amount of light blinding him when he opened his eyes confused him. The sun was high, which meant he'd been sleeping for a very long time.

" _I must have been more tired than I thought."_

It was understandable. He hadn't slept much since he awoke in Hyrule Castle, and his trip out of that death trap had exhausted him.

His ears swiveled in the direction of the footsteps. They were quiet and purposeful, like they were sneaking around. From his cover under the bush, he could make out what appeared to be a female traveler who was also using the bushes for cover.

" _Strange."_

Link didn't take his eyes off the traveler until he heard someone crossing the bridge from the other side. One glance confirmed it was the hero; he wasn't really alert, most likely not expecting trouble on the road.

But as the sound of a blade slipping out of its sheath reached his ears, Link caught on quick enough.

" _An assassin? A Hylian assassin?"_

Link wasn't sure what evil being this hero was up against, but he'd never really heard of Hylians joining the bad side.

" _Either way, she has to be stopped."_

The kid still hadn't noticed the assassin, even as he stepped closer to their position.

Link threw himself out of the bushes and onto the road before the hero got too close and growled loudly, hoping to frighten the hero into drawing his sword.

It worked of course; the kid moved like lightning, unsheathing his blade so fast that the metal sang in approval. The Master Sword gave off none of its usual glow, a thought that Link would have to save for later.

His sudden appearance didn't deter the assassin in the slightest. She flew past him so fast Link couldn't even catch her with his fangs as she brushed past him.

Whether the kid didn't see her due to her speed or he was just too shocked by his own scare tactic Link wasn't sure. The assassin swung her small blade at the Master Sword and knocked it out of the hero's hand easily and it clattered to the ground nearby.

The woman cried out with a rage that surprised him as she swung for the hero again, but the kid dodged easily to the side. He was quick, but he was unarmed, a position that was not likely to guaranteed victory.

The look in his eyes however, made Link think that maybe he could take her on unarmed and win.

Link didn't want to chance finding out; he ran for the Blade of Evils Bane and placed his paw on it with no hesitate. At once he felt the magic ripping at his flesh, tearing away the wolf from his body, leaving him Hylian again.

His hand only touched the Master Sword for less than a second, but it was burning like it was on fire. With no other option, he got to his feet and barely aimed before throwing the sword toward the kid.

"Heads up!"

He wasn't expecting the kid to catch the damn thing in mid-air. But with an ease that pissed him off more than it should have, the smaller man ran toward him and jumped in the air, plucking the sword like he would an apple from a tree.

The assassin lunged, taking advantage of the kid's open back.

"For the Yiga!" She screamed in a war cry.

She got no closer as the kid once again dodged the attack and with a speed that rivaled the assassin's, he closed the space between them and loped off her head.

Her sudden death startled Link. Of course he was expecting her to get killed, the kid had no choice of course, but he dispatched her with no hesitation. He never saw the Master Sword do harm to a Hylian like that before, it was mildly upsetting.

But then again, as he watched the smaller man start looting through the dead woman's pockets, he knew there were worst things to get upset about.

Link's hand throbbed painfully; he hissed and held it up to his face to observe the damage. It looked as if he'd grabbed a lantern by the metal grate, except his bare flesh was the only thing that got burned.

His gloves weren't even singed.

The sound of the Master Sword being sheathed made him look up from his hands to regard the hero wearily. The kid was looking at him quietly; observing as if waiting for him to do something.

"Nothing much fazes you, does it?" Link asked him. "An assassin attacks you, you cut her head off and pick through her pockets. A wolf turns into a man and you don't even say anything."

He got a confused head tilt as a response.

"Can you speak?" Link tried again. He wasn't sure if he wanted to hang around for too much longer. He got what he came for; now that he was Hylian again he could gather information. He could possibly find a way back to his home and his friends.

He had no desire to get caught up in any trouble that would no doubt be following this kid around. He fulfilled his destiny, and he had no intentions of getting dragged into whatever great battles awaited this hero.

The kid, who was now looking more curious and less murderous, started moving his hands.

At first, Link didn't quite understand what he was trying to do. But then he remembered there was a visible language that people with hearing loss used to communicate and he understood. Though he was not exactly sure how to use it at least he was getting somewhere.

"Can you hear me?" He asked the kid.

The kid stopped moving his hands and nodded.

" _Okay…so he can hear me but he's still using his hands to talk."_

This wasn't going to work. He wasn't sure how to communicate, and he was having trouble concentrating when his fingers were starting to burn more painfully.

The kid sighed loudly and started walking toward him and Link found himself backing away faster than he would ever admit.

There was something about him that put Link on edge, his instincts were telling him to run.

The kid put his hands in the air to, signaling that he wasn't going to attack him. Link didn't fully trust it, but he allowed him to come close enough that he was standing in front of him.

Up close, he wasn't all that much shorter than him; maybe just a couple inches. His build though made him seem so much tinier. Link knew the hero's all roughly looked the same just by the appearance of the Hero of Time and Sky that he'd seen in books. But this hero, with his bright blond hair and baby blue eyes made him look so much younger than him and innocent than all of them.

Link didn't move away as cold hands reached out to grasp his injured one; if anything the cold felt good on his burning hand. The kid looked down at his hand, his brows fixed with worry.

"So you're less concerned about the fact that we look like we could be brothers or that I was a wolf." Link said with a teasing tone in his voice. "You're more concerned that I have a burn on my hand?"

The hero glared up at him and then pointed to his hand before using the same hand to say something else in his hand language.

Link growled softly and pulled his hand away. "I'm sorry, I can't understand you."

The kid let out his own frustrated growl and grabbed his hand again. In his haste to hold it up in front of his eyes, he almost smacked Link in the face with it.

"It's a burn…" Link said. He tried to pull his hand back but the kid's grip on it was like steel.

They had a small standoff, both glaring at each other and neither speaking.

And then with a sigh and a few nervous gulps, the hero finally managed to say, "It's not a burn. You have the blight."

"The…Blight?" Link replied. That didn't exactly sound healthy. He looked at the kid, hoping that he would just explain. It looked like he was uncomfortable with talking, but if there was something seriously wrong he should be told.

But another word was not spoken between them. The kid pulled him with him and didn't let go of his hand, even when Link tried to take his hand back. They continued down the road, holding hands until Link stopped fighting.

Only then was his hand released. He got the hint. He had to follow.

They walked down the twisty turning path in a comfortable silence. The hero only strayed from the dirt road when he found something of interest to pick up off the beaten path. He looked to be an avid collector of mushrooms and flowers and Link found himself wondering if the guy was a hoarder.

This 'blight' that was afflicting him didn't make him feel any different. Then again, Link had no idea what it even was. All his knew was that his hand felt like it was burning off, and when he pulled up his glove he tried not to freak. The grotesque purple tinted burn hand crawled up his palm and onto his arm. It was growing.

Cold hands were on his injured one again, startling him. He hadn't noticed that he'd stopped walking.

Light blue eyes looked at the wound intently before the hero clicked his tongue in what Link knew was frustration.

"Bad?" He asked him.

The kid's expression didn't change when he met his eyes; it was blank, like stone.

And then he shrugged nonchalantly.

Link wanted to beat him.

But when they started walking again, Link couldn't help but noticed that their pace had increased significantly.

By the time they reached the bottom, Link was starting to feel strange. It felt as though his head was in a fog, like his mind wasn't quite clear. He felt as though he was sleep walking, and the hero finally grabbed him before he walked off a cliff.

Cold hands were on his face then, shaking him, trying to get him to focus.

"I'm good," he heard himself say. But his voice sounded far away, like he was hearing it from the opposite end of a long hall.

"You have no tolerance to the blight," A calm voice said. "Have you never been in contact with it?"

"I told you," Link blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

The hands on his face left and he felt the blood fill his cheeks. He had a fever.

"There's a Lizalfos camp close by, do you think you can make it there?"

He tried not to laugh as the kid pulled a hood over his head with such a serious expression. Or maybe it wasn't funny at all and he was just a little bit loopy because of the fever.

"I can make it, just lead the way."

There was a snort in response and Link once again wanted to bet the snot out of him. But instead he followed as quickly as possible, trying to not die prematurely.

The Lizalfos camp was indeed close by. The kid didn't even hesitate as he approached, drawing his sword and charging in. He dispatched one monster quickly but the other looked a bit stronger.

Link heard a splash from the river and bare had enough sense to dodge out of the way before another Lizalfos was on him. He placed his left hand on his blade, not drawing it yet; he didn't have the strength for fancy footwork. He'd have to take it out in one blow.

The creature roared at him and charged, thinking that he wouldn't put up much of a fight. Unfortunately for it, just as it came in range Link drew his blade and used his mortal draw technique to cut it in half.

He knew he fucked up the moment pain raced up his back so suddenly he screamed and fell to the ground.

" _This isn't from the blight."_

He gritted his teeth and tried to make his body to relax until the spasm was over. He just hoped there were no more monsters in the area that were looking to kill him.

When he was rolled onto his back he let out a string of curses that would have made Telma blush. The kid met his eyes for only a second before he was poking at him, trying to find the wound that he probably believed was afflicted on him.

"I'm fine, it's nothing new," Link hissed. He barely had the strength to push the kid away with his back still in a spasm. "It's an old battle wound, there's nothing to be done."

When the kid finally stopped and settled for looking down at him, Link closed his eyes and groaned. "It will pass; just leave me to die until that happens."

The kid rolled his eyes and stood up, leaving him there to suffer.

With all the adrenalin rushing through him, his head cleared for a moment. But now that the fight was over, he could feel the same haze overcoming him again. He was only vaguely aware when his sword was placed on the ground next to him.

In fact, he wasn't aware he'd fallen asleep until he was being smacked back into consciousness.

"Can you stand yet?"

Link groaned painfully but pushed himself into a sitting position. He was dizzy, but his back had stopped for now.

He needed help getting to his feet, but he didn't have to walk far as the kid brought him over to the Lizalfos camp and made him sit on a blanket next to the fire. Honestly he didn't think he could make it any farther than that anyway.

"It would be better if we could make it to my home in Hateno." The hero spoke so quietly that Link had to flick his ears toward him to catch it. "But I don't think you could make it to Hateno so we'll have to do this here."

Link said nothing but he watched in fascination as the other man started pulling tons of plants and mushrooms from his pack. Then he began the task of cutting, grinding and peeling. The ingredients were placed in the pot to be boiled and Link tried not to cover his nose at the smell.

The hero pulled a pretty white and blue flower out of his pack last and added some petals both to the pot and to the salve he was making. With the mixture complete his next task was to undress Link who was less than agreeable.

Link had to struggle to get all the straps unbuckled and pulled off, and he almost couldn't untangle himself from his chainmail. When his tunic came off followed by his undershirt, his heart almost stopped when he saw that the ugly purple wound had crawled up his arm and was almost at his heart.

He tried not to freak out too bad, but when the hero muttered a curse that sounded almost like 'shit' in Gerudo, he knew it wasn't good.

"Think I'll make it?" He asked the other man. He was being sarcastic, but when he got smacked upside the head he growled.

The salve was applied to the areas where his skin was burning away and it burned worse than it was before. Link clenched his teeth and tried to not bite his tongue, but all he wanted to do was scream.

"Do you need something to bite on?"

Whimpering, Link shook his head.

The kid didn't look convinced but he continued to apply the ointment until it was covering every inch of diseased flesh.

Now exhausted and delirious from the fever and pain, Link slouched over and tried to breath deep. He'd been through worse he knew, he had the scars to prove it. This wasn't a normal pain though; it felt as though his flesh was falling off, leaving tissue and bone bare.

His suffering only worsened when the hero held up a cup of the hot stinky stuff he'd been cooking over the fire.

"Do you need help swallowing it?"

In any other situation, Link would have said a dirty response to that, but he didn't want to piss off the only help he had. He tried to take the cup in his good hand, but it was shaking so much he couldn't hold it. Instead the kid held the cup to his lips and tilted it so he could sip slowly.

"What…in the fuck is that…made of?" Link started to gag but a hand over his mouth stopped him from wanting to bring anything up. He was forced to drink two huge cups of the potion, and by the end of it he felt like death.

Once that ordeal was over with, he was forced to lay down with a cold cloth over his head. This felt wonderful at first, but he was only in his pants with no blanket covering him. The cold hit him so suddenly his whole body started to convulse in shivers.

"Bl-bl-blank-et-t-t." He said with his teeth clattering.

The kid nodded in agreement and then proceeded to cover him with a blanket that had been soaked in the icy river.

"Fuck!" Link sat up quicker than he thought was capable, but was quickly slammed back into the ground and pinned by the smaller man. He tried to fight him off, as stupid as that was. But the cold was so awful, so deep in his bones; he thought he was going to die before the fever broke.

He cried out, tears streaming down his face and his teeth clattering so hard he was scared they would break.

" _I'm going to die. I'm going to die."_

A soft humming sound helped him focus; he tried to listen to it and not to his shaking body. It was a pleasant sound, a tune that he recognized easily once his mind took two seconds to focus. The kid was humming Epona's song. How he knew it, Link had no clue, but the familiar song soothed him more than he thought it would.

Somehow he fell asleep. He woke only when the salve was applied to the burn and the pain jolted him awake. The kid also woke him up a few more times to make him drink more of that awful potion.

Link thought for sure he was more likely to die from the potion than from the blight.

But at some point in the middle of the night the fever lifted, and he finally fell into a deep sleep.

The hero watched over him all night, not moving from his side.

It was a comfort at least.

-(|-

When he finally woke up for real this time, he felt completely back to normal.

Well, he still felt like ass since he'd slept on a cold damp patch of ground, but he was alive.

Link sat up and glared at the kid who was sitting next to him. He had a nice, warm blanket over his shoulders. Link wasted no time pulling it off him so he could attempt to warm his aching bones. "My old bones can't handle the cold like that anymore. You damn near killed me, kid."

He received a scoff in answer.

Link glared at him but honestly he was grateful that the brat had saved him. "Um…I want to thank you for aching bones though. I would be dead if you hadn't done what you did."

This time he received a shrug in answer and Link sighed and turned away from him. If he looked at the kid any longer he was going to beat the shit out of him.

He sat still, trying to regain his strength as the smaller man moved around the camp, packing his supplies away. Link wasn't aware the brat was cooking breakfast until the delicious smell hit him. His stomach growled so loudly he was sure the sound traveled back to the time gate in Hyrule Castle and back in time so Shad could hear it.

He heard a chuckle from his companion and Link stuck his tongue out at him. He worked on getting dressed as the food was cooked. His joints were indeed stiff; it definitely felt like his body had worked off a fever. He was able to get dressed though, and he didn't have to have eyes on the back of his head to know the scar on his back was being stared at.

Link strapped his weapons back on and sat in front of the cooking pot, pulling the blanket back over him. He could tell the other man wanted to ask just by the way he was avoiding eye contact, so Link decided to spare him.

"I got it in the final battle with my enemy," he said with little emotion in his voice. "The guy had a powerful blade, I tried to dodge but I underestimated his reach. He opened my back to the bone. I had no idea it happened until after he was dead and the panic left."

Link watched the food sizzling on the frying pan. He was cooking bacon and eggs, he could feel himself drooling.

"I've been told I wasn't supposed to make it," he continued, trying to distract from the hunger. "I pretty much bled out, and the blade had cut into my spine and damaged a lot of nerves in the area. Even if I lived I was not expected to walk for sure."

The kid didn't flinch, and Link figured he'd probably had his own share of injuries.

"I did live though, and it took me a year to heal, and then another to teach myself to walk again. The only side effect I have now is a crippling pain that hits me if I move my back in just the right way. It doesn't happen often, but it's still a pain in the ass."

Link fell silent, not sure if he should keep talking.

But then the kid spoke.

"You're…A hero of the goddess, aren't you?"

"I guess," Link flicked his ears awkwardly. "I doubt you've heard of me though, my story wasn't that interesting…"

"Actually I have," the kid replied uncomfortably. "I recognize your story."

Link was slightly shocked but tried not to get his hopes up. "Do you know how the story ends? Do I get back to my world?"

His companion shook his head and he looked almost guilty. "I've seen a lot of things in my dreams. Sometimes I relive the memories of past lives, but I've never once had dreams of the Hero of Twilight." He poked awkwardly at the food while he spoke. "I had read the story before the Calamity; it was Zelda's favourite story since she admired the queen of that age. But I've not once dreamt of you, and that's probably because it's not possible, since you couldn't be a past life as you're alive and in front of me now."

He paused and added, "That must be why you have no immunity to the blight, as you've never been exposed to it. It's in the air you breathe, the water you drink and the earth you stand on. I'm surprised you didn't get sick sooner."

When Link continued to look at him hopefully, the kid shook his head. "The story ended with you leaving Hyrule and never returning. That's all I remember."

Link tried not to let those words crush him, but it was hard. He was so far away from home and he missed his people. He didn't want to accept that he'd seen Shad for the last time on the day he was drawn into the gate.

"How long ago did my legend take place?" He asked him.

The kid shrugged, "fifty thousand years maybe? That's a question you might have to save for Zelda."

"And none of this weirds you out?"

The other man went quiet, as if he was contemplating his answer. He dished up the food on a plate for each of them. He didn't speak again until they both had started eating.

"I've seen weirder."

Link raised an eyebrow at that. "Oh like what? There's nothing weirder than you talking to a hero that saved Hyrule fifty thousand years ago, traveled through time and is now sharing breakfast with you."

"Well…" The kid paused to gather his words. "I died fighting the Calamity along with my friends and then Zelda put me in a resurrection chamber to save me. I slept for one hundred years and lost all my memories while she fought the Calamity. And now that I'm awake no one remembers me and every day I have to resist going to Hyrule Castle to fight the Calamity with a tree branch."

When Link said nothing the hero grinned at him, "So sharing breakfast with a guy that traveled through time sounds pretty normal to me."

Link's only response was to say "I can turn into a wolf."

This was met with a laugh. "Well then you're the weirdest guy who's ever traveled through time then."

"Whatever," Link grumbled. He bit into another piece of bacon and tried not to weep. It was so good. "My name is Link by the way," he said after a few more mouthfuls. "I don't think I've ever said that."

The other hero didn't even bat an eye. "Mine too, welcome to the club. We meet every night of the blood moon."

-(|-

The name thing wasn't awkward until Link tried to call his new friend by his name, which just happened to be his own name. It made him feel like he was talking to himself, something he thought would only happen when he became old and senile.

"I think I'll call you kid." Link said as he helped pack up camp. "Calling you Link is just too weird for me."

That earned him a dirty look but he wasn't deterred. "I guess it's less awkward for you because you don't like to talk. So you won't have to say your own name often, but that doesn't help me."

This was ignored as the kid started walking away, leaving Link to follow.

Link snickered and followed closely behind him. "So kid sounds like a good option, since you are a snot-nosed brat."

"I'm one hundred and eighteen years old, I think I've got you beat."

"But physically and mentally you're eighteen, and I'm twenty eight, so I have you beat there," Link replied. "So 'kid' still works."

He stopped getting responses after that, even when he really poked and made up all kinds of names for him. In fact, the brat started replying in the hand language he'd been using before, so Link had no idea what names he was being called.

Once it became apparent that he was not going to get the boy to talk again, Link settled for the thoughts in his head to keep him occupied. He still had no idea what his next move was. Even though he was now human, he was still lost.

He could try to return to the time gate; maybe do some Shad level research and see if he could figure something out. He knew for certain he did not want to follow the kid on his journey. He was a borderline cripple thanks to his back, and he'd done his share of life risking battles. He was retired from hero duty as far as he was concerned.

As they finally made it to the end of Zora territory, Link was torn on what to do. He could part ways with the kid (at least the name dilemma would be over with) but he had no idea where to go. He didn't even have a map.

The kid veered off course suddenly, shaking Link out of his thoughts. He watched as the smaller man walked quietly over to a ledge of rock and started to carefully climb up it.

Link had no idea what he was up to, but he had a feeling that it had something to do with the loud…snoring sound that he could hear nearby.

Grumbling, he followed the fool, climbing up the cliff to see what he was planning.

He didn't have to wait long as there was a rumbling roar and he made it to the top of the ledge just as some hulking…thing chucked a whole tree at him.

Link didn't have time to curse as he dove to the side, narrowly avoiding death for the second time in the last two days.

"Why do you do this shit?!" Was the only thing he could yell out as he drew his sword and hid behind the nearest tree.

He could hear the monster yelling in pain as the crazy brat fought it off. Link hated to admit it but he was not even close to having his strength back. His body was still weak from the fever and even now his sword arm was shaking.

So even though he doubted it would help, Link sheathed his sword and pulled out his bow. The monster was a big blob on legs with one huge eye; he knew if he shot the eye with an arrow he'd probably do some damage.

He knocked an arrow and aimed carefully, waiting for the perfect moment. When the huge monster bent down, drooling and spitting at his friend, he took the shot and hit its eye, blinding it. It screamed and fell on its ass, big clumsy hands rubbing at its eye.

The kid took the opportunity to slice a deep wound from one end of the monster's stomach to the other, spilling its innards.

The smell was _unbearable_.

Link held back his vomit, there was no way he was losing the best meal he'd had in weeks.

He only looked back long enough to see the idiot start scooping guts into a container of some type before he had to look away. He was really starting to wonder exactly what was in that potion he drank.

The situation was only made worse when a familiar voice boomed through the clearing.

"Link! You are still here my friend." The big red Zora had come out of gods knew where to meet up with the kid. "I had hoped I could personally thank you again before you left the region!"

Even from a few feet away, hiding behind the tree, Link could see the way the Zora man was looking at the hero. The tail on his head was wagging so fast it looked ready to fly off. As the big guy took in the scene of carnage and destruction that the kid was looting from, he had a look on his face that could only be 'love'.

Link turned away and threw up.

-(|-

As it turned out the big red Zora was actually the prince of the Zora, Sidon.

Link couldn't even focus on introductions until they were clear away from the area where the Hinox (as he was informed by Sidon) was killed. The body hadn't stayed for long before disintegrating, but it was long enough for the hero to gather what he needed. And even with the body gone, the smell was stuck in Link's nose and it took dunking his head in a nearby river to clear it.

"You two could be father and son!" Sidon said with way too much enthusiasm. "This is incredible."

"I'm not that fucking old," Link snapped at the prince. He was no good around sunny people like Sidon, but it was hard to pretend to be nice when his stomach was still turning.

They were still at the riverside where Link had collapsed. Sidon was in the river grinning at the two of them while the brat was standing on land beside him, cleaning the Master Sword off with a cloth.

"Forgive me," Sidon said quickly. "I am ashamed to admit, but I am not familiar with subjects that must be sensitive to Hylians."

The kid put his sword away and moved his hands, telling the prince whatever he needed to tell him.

Whatever he said, Sidon nodded in understanding before turning back to Link. "I see…a tale for another time then." The Zora grinned at his companion and Link wondered if he should leave the area or something.

"I just had to thank you again, and if you need anything at any point of time, please come see me." He then did some weird pose with his arm and Link wondered if he was trying to seduce the other Link with his huge muscles.

Which didn't seem probable but if he kept it up, he might take fish boy up on his offer.

" _How would that even work? Do they even…this is too weird, I've never once in my life considered having sex with a Zora. Now I have questions that I'm sure as hell not asking someone to get the answers."_

He wasn't sure if the smaller man was aware of the subtle flirting, but Link filed it away in his brain for later. He'd use it on a rainy day if he needed something to bother the brat with.

Sidon didn't hang around for much longer. He said his final goodbyes and wished them both luck on their journey.

Link half expected Sidon to blow them a kiss but thank gods that didn't happen. His friend was oblivious enough; he didn't need any more confusion in his life.

With all the excitement gone, Link once again had to figure out his plans. He was considering asking for a map, at least with that he could figure out what direction to take. He had no idea that he'd continued down the wrong path until a hand grabbed his to stop him.

Link looked at the kid. The indecisive look on his face must have said everything; the smaller man motioned for him to follow and smirked at him.

It wasn't until he was halfway up a hill headed towards Death Mountain before he realized that he'd followed the hero.

"Zelda…She might have the answer you seek."

Link made a whining sound in the back of his throat. In his experience, Zelda wasn't as helpful as everyone liked to think she was. "It still doesn't solve our name problem, am I Link or are you Link?"

The kid actually stopped walking so he could turn around and give him another dirty look. "If it's going to be such a crisis for you, then call me Wilhelm when we're alone. Don't ever say it around anyone else, okay?"

Link grinned at him. "Does that name mean something to you?"

There was a silence that wasn't uncomfortable, if anything…it was sad.

"I think…it was my father's name."

Link remembered what the kid had said about losing his memories and he immediately felt bad. "I wouldn't be that mean to you, kid." He clapped the smaller man on the shoulder. "How about you just call me Twilight and you keep your name. You're the current hero anyway, you deserve to use it."

Link (as he now would refer to him) shrugged and turned away, walking up the path like nothing happened.

But Twilight could tell the little shit was grinning.

So either he just got duped or he made the kid happy.

" _Oh well, either way I guess I know what I'm doing."_

* * *

If anyone has anything they'd like to see in this fic I'm open to ideas. I'll try my best to fit them in :) I have no update schedule, I basically write whenever the pain in my back isn't too bad and post whatever amount I've written. Just check back every once and a while!


	2. Chapter 2

I'm so sorry this took so long. So much stuff has come up.

Hope you enjoy~

* * *

When they stopped for the night Twilight tried to convince Link to let him take first watch, but the kid ignored him. Now sitting comfortably next to the fire in the quiet of the night, he was already nodding off…So maybe he'd let him win this round. He could use the sleep with his body still aching and tired as it was.

He could barely remember laying his head down to sleep. His dreams dragged him under and his homesickness increased when he found himself with Shad again, searching for the time gate.

The dream was nothing complicated, just the usual thing he and Shad always did. They would research a story and try to find out if there was any truth to it. That's what they were doing the day he got pulled into the future; they were researching legends on the Hero of the Sky.

Their findings led them to a deeper part of the woods that hadn't seen signs of life for hundreds of years. The gate was never mentioned in the little scraps of information they had, so he never saw a problem with approaching it.

That proved to be the wrong thing to do. He could still remember the feeling of being dragged through the gate.

 _His eyes were open but he was in complete darkness, falling into a void. His whole body lurched like he was being pulled in two different directions. He instinctually wrapped his arms around himself, trying to keep his body from feeling like it was going to fall apart._

 _Another lurch and he was being thrown the other way, cold taking over him, freezing him so bad that he could almost feel the marrow in his bones turning to ice._

 _He stopped so suddenly that it felt like he'd fallen off his horse face first and hit the ground. With a start, he realized that he was indeed laying on something solid, something cold like dirt. The impact knocked the air out of him and he coughed, the sound lost in the darkness._

 _The cold was choking him now and he clutched at his throat, fighting the invisible force that was suffocating him._

 _"Y o u ' e."_

 _"You're telling me…" He struggled to breathe but his lungs refused to listen to him._

 _There were cold hands on his legs suddenly, colder than the air that was strangling him. He flailed and kicked out, trying to hit whatever was attacking him but it was having no effect._

 _Dizzy from the lack of oxygen, he fought with everything he had left, he was not going to die without a fight._

 _Seconds went by,_

 _Minutes._

 _Hours._

 _And then…a light._

 _A light so bright it almost blinded him as much as the darkness before._

 _His hand was glowing with a golden light; it was pushing out against the darkness like a flame burning through the mist. Warmth crawled up his arm, covering his entire body and he sucked in a breath as it reached his lungs._

 _A feeling that he hadn't felt in so long took over him again. His limbs pulling uncomfortably as he was transformed. The inner beast worked its way out of his flesh; he howled at the pain, it was so much more painful than he remembered—_

"Hey!"

Twilight's eye flew open and he threw himself into a sitting position. He was sweating again, but this time it wasn't with fever. He had no idea where he was or who he was. Panic gripped him and he clutched at his chest, trying to stop his heart from bursting out of his chest.

Cool hands on his face made him freeze; he sucked in a breath and held it like it was the last one he would ever take.

"You're fine, it was just a dream."

He recognized the voice. A wave of relief washed over him as the memories from the previous days finally came back to him.

 _"I'm fine; I'm just thousands of years into the future. I'm traveling with the kid, everything is okay."_

He pushed the hands gently away from him, wanting some space to catch his breath. It was embarrassing enough that he'd had a night terror in front of some else, he didn't want to be coddled.

Link moved away but still sat close; he had his bow within hands reach at his feet. "The blight stays with you, even once it's purged." He gave Twilight a sympathetic look, "you'll have more of those, I'm sorry."

Twilight chuckled and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. "I can handle a few bad dreams, don't worry about me." His heart was still racing. He wasn't sure if he wanted to try falling back to sleep or if he wanted to tell the kid to sleep instead.

Neither man spoke for a while after that.

His companion was very quiet. He wasn't sure if it was a choice to not speak or if it was just who he was. He could remember the weight of destiny on his shoulders in his younger years and he could sympathize. When there were so many lives relying on you talking was a luxury you didn't think you deserved.

"You want to teach me some of that hand language?" He asked the younger man after their short silence. "I don't think I can go back to sleep again after that."

Link gave him a steady look, blinking lazily like a cat. It looked to be one of the hardest decisions of his life.

"If you would like," He said. As the words left his mouth, he also moved his hands.

Twilight tried to copy some of what the kid did, but it felt strange to move his fingers and hands in a different way.

The attempt earned him a smile though.

"It's a shame you don't speak often," he said as Link went slower through the previous sentence so Twilight could copy him. "You have a lovely singing voice."

He said it to poke a little fun at the quiet hero and it worked splendidly. His face turned red, the tips of his ears glowing as he shot Twilight a dirty look for the third time since they met. "This means horse," he said with a rough movement of his hands.

Twilight chuckled and copied him. "Where did you learn Epona's song anyway? Is it even called that anymore?"

"Yes," Link replied with voice and movement. "Tales of Epona lasted longer than any of the heroes. The people of Hyrule these days are horse people."

Link's hands were moving so fast that he had no hope of copying him, but it helped to watch anyway. "I haven't had time to really stop and think about it," he said while practicing 'horse' again. "But I'm never going to see her again. It hurts just as much as losing my friends surprisingly."

"She has descendants," Link said. "She was a wild spirit, a goddess if you believe some of the tales," he continued moving his hands while speaking. "She was never tamed again after your time, but she has shown up now and then."

"I suppose her descendants were killed when this Calamity felled Hyrule?" He moved his hands, trying to spell out the name Epona with little success.

"Actually…" Link was grinning now. "I happen to know where one of her supposed descendants has made its home. I heard the story from a merchant and I wrote the information down, I was hoping to check it out eventually."

Twilight snorted at him playfully. "I suppose a 'wild child' like you needs an untameable horse."

Link shrugged and signed something. "Friend," he said, doing at again so Twilight could copy. "I was thinking of maybe finding you an old friend. It would give you something familiar back if the rumor ends up being true."

The sentiment made him even more embarrassed but he didn't want the kid to get one up on him. "You should talk more often; you're nicer with your words than with your actions."

Link didn't glare at him, but he did sign something else.

"Asshole," He said, repeating the action extra slow. "When I sign your name to people this is what I'm going to use."

Twilight laughed and copied the word, "it's not the worst I've been called."

They continued practicing for a while longer. Twilight could copy some of it well enough, his only problem would be remembering. But Link said it would take practice so he resigned himself to the fact that it wouldn't be something learned overnight.

"I don't mind talking," Link said when they took a quick break. "When I woke up from my sleep, I had no memories. I talked to the old man on the plateau with no problem, though it did feel weird." He signed the rest of his sentence while he spoke. "It wasn't until I got my memories back that I realized that talking was really out of character for me."

"Before the Calamity?" Twilight asked him.

Link nodded. "But…after I learned that part of myself, I guess I kind of said 'screw it' and kept talking anyway. I'm not that person anymore; there was no reason to suppress myself any longer." He smiled awkwardly, "I use it only if people can understand it and if I feel uncomfortable."

Twilight scoffed, not at those words but at the idea. "Don't ever hold yourself back, kid. The more you bottle up inside the harder it is to keep contained."

"I know," Link went to signing again. "I have hope that if I bottle enough to get really angry, it will help me in the battle against Calamity Ganon."

"Ganon?" Twilight felt a hot stabbing pain race down his back. "Did you just say Ganon?"

Link signed out the name. "Yes, do you know of the Calamity?"

Twilight gazed at the castle in the far off distance. He couldn't make out any more than a shadow of the large structure. The malice surrounding it, however, made the area around in glow ominously.

"So…Is Calamity Ganon, Ganondorf?" He asked his companion.

Link, who had been halfway through signing out 'Ganondorf' paused to think. "Who's Ganondorf?"

Twilight only turned toward him long enough to raise an eyebrow at him before looking away again. "Ganondorf…you know, the eight foot tall Gerudo man? He likes the color black and gets distracted by shiny things?"

A scoff from his friend only made him realize how weird that sounded.

"Sorry, I think we're all out of tall Gerudo men with dragon-like tendencies." Link paused just so he could sign out his answer. "I think there's a legend that says the Calamity was once a man a long time ago…but whoever that man was, he is no longer."

Twilight frowned at those words. It seemed hard to believe that Ganondorf, the overly cunning and ruthless King of Evil could be taken over like that. He was no expert, but it didn't seem like him at all.

The feeling that overtook him surprised him. It was a deep sadness, akin to homesickness. He wasn't sure if he just missed his own world or if he really did feel bad for the Gerudo King.

A troubling thought either way.

"I could always ask Riju about it when we travel that way. I'm sure she won't mind talking about the dark past of the Gerudo."

Twilight turned again to glare at the grinning hero.

Link chuckled lightly when he saw the nervousness in the glare. "You're not afraid of eight foot tall Gerudo women who could throw you around like a ragdoll, are you?"

Twilight only stayed quiet so the full effectiveness of his glare could be unleashed.

When Link continued to smile at him, the older man finally growled and said, "Go make some damn food, I've heard enough from you."

The kid chuckled at him but he did get up and start digging through the pouches at his hip. It was almost comical to watch things like a frying pan and non-broken cuckoo eggs emerge from within like magic.

It appeared that the void like space of magic pouches managed to survive to the current time.

Magic itself didn't really exist in his own time, not like it did in the Hero of Time's age anyway. But he'd seen a lot of things in this world to make him think it was a little more common here. "Can you use magic?" He asked the kid.

Link looked up from his cooking and gave him a non-committal grunt. "Magic exists more in weapons than anything."

"So…no Triforce?" Twilight asked him.

"Triforce?"

The head tilt Link did when he said the word would have been funny if Twilight wasn't horrified.

"The Triforce," he said slowly. "It's the thing that the hero, princess, an incarnation of evil normally possess?" He pulled his shield off his back a bit more dramatically than he meant to but he quickly pointed out the Triforce out at the top. "It's three golden Triangles; you should have one piece of it on your sword hand."

Twilight would have shown Link his Triforce if it hadn't been for the fact that it had disappeared when he went through the time gate. That along with most of the shit in his pockets, and that included both weapons and clothes.

Something like recognition lit up Link's eyes as he looked at the golden triangles on the shield. He didn't waste any time pulling his glove off and staring at his right hand. Even from where he was sitting, Twilight could see that it was bare.

"I don't think I have it."

Twilight wasn't sure that was all there was to it, but if Link didn't want to talk about it he wouldn't push him. "You mean to tell me that you rush into battle like an idiot without the Triforce of Courage helping you?"

Another shrug and he resisted the urge to throw a rock at the kid.

"Unbelievable."

The food was ready by the time the sun was starting to rise again. Twilight devoured it without much thought; he was still starving since he puked up his last meal.

Link watched him with mild disgust as he picked slowly at his own meal. "Have you ever heard of chewing?"

Twilight growled quietly. "Why chew when you can be full?"

"I can see now why you take the form of a wolf."

"Shut up."

Since Twilight finished first he decided he would be the one to pack up camp since the kid was still 'savoring' his food. He just finished scraping off the pan when he noticed Link was looking at some kind of stone tablet thing that was glowing brightly.

He moved in closer to get a better look and Link held the blinding thing up to him. "Vah Rudania is the nearest Divine Beast, but I want to stop in Akkala first."

Twilight rubbed his eyes and tried looking at the light again. He wasn't expecting to see a map there.

"Pura told me that Robbie has weapons there that can potentially help me. I want to be a bit more prepared for the next Blight I fight." He moved his fingers over the surface and pointed out another area marked. "And this is where the merchant told me to look for Epona, so I figured we could check it out." He put the Sheikah Slate back in its holder and immediately saw Twilight's dazed expression. "You okay?"

"What kind of magic is that?"

Link looked down at the slate and Twilight growled when the kid chuckled.

"It's called technology, not magic. The Sheikah invented it a long time ago."

"Sheikah…" Twilight pictured that old sad woman living in her lonely village surrounded by cats. There was no way she could have put something like that together.

Link quickly explained before the older man got any more confused. "It was after your time, the Sheikah had been banished to another world between this one and the world of darkness. They were permitted to return and decided to share their technology with us." His ears flicked nervously when he saw Link go pale. "At least that's what Impa told me, you can ask her about it if we head back toward Kakoriko."

"Kakoriko…" Twilight's head was still spinning. The kid couldn't be talking about anyone but the Twili.

He felt a hand on his shoulder shake him back to reality.

"Come on," Link said. "I bet you fifty rupees we can find that horse."

It was Twilight's turn to be quiet now. He said nothing as Link packed up the rest of camp and placed it back in his pouch. His body only moved again when the kid motioned for him to follow and he started walking.

 _"Midna…"_

-(|-

Traveling to find the mystery horse would take a full day and into the night according to Link. There luckily was a stable on the way, and they stopped to stay the night before continuing early the next morning.

Twilight was almost in awe of the drastic change in the trees in the area. Instead of bright green, the leaves had changed to oranges, reds, and yellows. It didn't feel like fall, especially since they had just come from a brighter and warmer area only the day before. The air was damper in the region though; the taste of rain was forever on his tongue.

Link moved his hands, explaining in few words that it rained a lot in Akkala; so much in fact that the trees always seemed to be in the state of near death. But it never rained so much as to kill them all.

Twilight moved his hands, forming the same words Link had for 'rain' and trees'. "So is Epona's descendant somewhere in this region?"

Link made a gesture that he knew was 'yes' and said, "Nearby."

The sun was high in the sky by the time they made it out of the 'Akkala Highlands'. They veered off the path and started to travel over grassy terrains, moving into 'Deep Akkala' territory.

"We're heading into North Akkala valley," Link said quietly to Twilight. "We should be able to find her there if she exists."

Twilight nodded but he felt uneasy about the whole thing. He tried not to get too suspicious when Link started checking his armor and fiddling with his weapons.

"Are you expecting trouble?" He asked his companion.

Link's head shot up and he gave Twilight a slightly guilty look. "No…" He stopped picking at his belongings and tried as much as he could to appear relaxed.

Twilight grumbled and stepped in his path, stopping the other man from walking. "Liar," he signed and out loud said, "You look ready to pick a fight."

The eye roll he got in return didn't make him any happier.

"I heard rumors that there's a very strong Lynel in this valley," Link said with little concern. "I overheard some travelers at the stable talking about it. They said its fur was a gold color, and I've never heard of a gold Lynel." Link then gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry; I'm sure it will be fine."

Twilight wasn't so convinced. "I feel the more time I spend with you the closer I get to an early grave."

Link snorted at him and signed something that was no doubt mocking before gently pushing past him to continue walking.

"Can you at least bury me somewhere nice?" Twilight jokingly said as he walked after the kid. He also checked all the straps on his armor and made sure his weapons were ready. He wasn't totally sure what a Lynel was but he would try his best to lend support where he could.

As they went deeper into the valley the hairs on the back of Twilight's neck started to stand up. That was his animal instincts telling him to run, and he had to take a few deep breaths to fight back the panic.

A roar so loud stopped them in their tracks and sent every bird in the area flying into the sky.

Twilight recognized the sound; it was very similar to the monster that was on the mountaintop near the Zora. A huge beast that was half horse and also part mutated cat. He remembered watching Link sneak around the creature collecting strange arrows before driving off the mountain into the large lake below.

If Link wasn't willing to fight the one on the mountain that time, it must have meant that they were a tough monster to kill.

Link tapped on his arm to get his attention. He pointed to Twilight's bow and gestured deeper into the valley toward the monster. Then he pointed at himself and waved toward the side of the valley and up the hill.

Twilight got what he was saying. He was to approach from the front and Link was going to get behind the beast to try and sneak attack it.

"Works for me."

He nodded to his friend and Link grinned like a madman before silently moving away.

 _"I still think we're going to die."_

But Twilight fought back his instincts and drew his bow, keeping an arrow ready but not drawing it back.

He crept forwards past some undergrowth and deeper into the valley. He was very quiet, even in his Hylian form he could make himself silent if he tried hard enough. He needed to at least get to a place where he had a clear shot at the monster.

That was easier said than done Twilight soon realized as he finally caught sight of the hulking beast. It had its head up, nose sniffing the air; it could smell him.

Twilight had no time to try to move downwind. The valley was small and riddled with broken branches; if he moved around too much he was likely to be caught.

There was no sign of any horse in the area and it dawned on him that they might be doing this for nothing. This Lynel looked significantly scarier than the one on the mountaintop. The gold coloring of its fur did make it look a lot tougher.

Once the Lynel deemed the area safe again it seemed to lose interest in his scent and went back to moving around its territory.

Twilight could feel the sweat making his hair stick to the back of his neck. He drew his arrow back slightly, his fingers itching to get this over and done with.

 _"Where the hell is the kid?"_

As it turned out, he didn't have to wait long to find out the answer.

Twilight felt his mouth open in shock as the brazen little bastard silently swooped in on his gliding contraption. He thought Link was going to land on a nearby tree so he could have a really good shot at the Lynel, but much to his horror the kid no such thing.

Still grinning like a person who'd lost all grip on reality, the kid dropped down onto the Lynel's back. He sat there in a moment of stillness, almost like he'd mounted a common horse before all hell broke loose.

The Lynel roared in fury and began bucking wildly, trying to throw its unwanted rider off its back.

Twilight watched as the kid pulled out the Master Sword and began slicing at the Lynel, trying to do some damage to its thick armored skin.

The shock at this point had worn off and just as Link finally jumped off the Lynel's back, Twilight drew his arrow back. He barely held his breath to aim before shooting an arrow at the beast, hitting it dead center in the right eye.

Now in pain and absolutely pissed, the Lynel charged toward him.

He could barely hear Link yell out "Blind him!" over the thundering of the hooves coming his way. Twilight jumped to the side, rolling onto his knees before drawing another arrow at shooting at the Lynel just as it turned to face him again.

His aim was true and the arrow caught the monster in the left eye.

Now completely blind and bloodthirsty, the Lynel pulled out a sword and charged at Twilight. Even without its sight, it could still hear and smell.

Twilight knew that clashing blades with the beast would no doubt bring on a back spasm, and that wasn't something he could afford. So instead of meeting it head on, he switched to his sword and rolled under the Lynel as it charged toward him. He came up still under the monster's belly and very crudely used his sword like an ax to hack at one of its back legs, severing its tendons and muscles.

 _"A horse's weak point is its legs; I guess this guy is no exception."_

His victory was short lived as the Lynel toppled onto its side and he had to roll again to avoid getting crushed.

Now blinded and unable to charge, the Lynel had little options left. Twilight was sure the fight was over, that was until he realized that the Lynel still had two very uninjured arms and he was within striking distance.

"Shit."

He grabbed his shield as the Lynel's sword came swooping for his head. The monster let out another roar, this time in victory and Twilight braced for the impact.

But Link charged into the scene, the look on his face scary enough to rival the monster they were fighting.

Twilight had a front row seat as Link parried the Lynel's blade like it was nothing before moving in to attack. He sliced at the Lynel's arms, trying to disable them as well.

The Lynel wasn't completely unable to move like Twilight had thought as the monster rose to its feet and backed away. Link followed with no hesitation, crying out as he swung his sword, the blade cutting deeply into the Lynel's flesh.

Not finished fighting the Lynel fought back, throwing the massive blade around and crying in frustration as none of his attacks landed.

Link moved like a man possessed. Quick like lightning and as powerful as the Lynel he faced. He continued exchanging blows with the Lynel who was now toppled over again, the Master Sword biting into hard flesh and cutting straight through its chest.

The Lynel let out one last pitiful cry before the sword of evil's bane cut into its heart, killing it instantly.

The silence was almost deafening now.

Twilight stayed on the ground, out of breath as if he had been the one to finish off the monster. He kept his eyes on Link as the boy stood there as still as a statue. He couldn't fight back the instincts that were telling him there was something off about this hero.

Not that Link was evil and had any ill-will toward him, but there was just something…different about him.

He thought back to the look in the kid's eyes just a few moments ago and shivered. The anger he saw there, the absolute hatred…it was a look he'd seen only once before.

It was the same look he saw when he crossed swords with the Hero's Shade.

But then the kid turned to him with a huge grin on his face, looking more tired now than angry.

"See? Told you we could do it."

Twilight scoffed at him and signed 'asshole'.

They both chuckled and Twilight willed his stiff body to get back up. He felt tired and a bit bruised but nothing was broken; and that in itself was a miracle.

He leaned back against a tree and waited for Link to pick through the monsters remains to get what he needed. And just as before as soon as he was done, the corpse turned black and dissolved into smoke.

Once Link was looking at him, Twilight signed 'horse?'

Link looked at the small clearing as if he just remembered their purpose for coming here. "Deeper probably," he signed and spoke. "I doubt a horse would have wandered too close to a Lynel."

Twilight pushed himself off the tree and started deeper into the small clump of trees. He was surprised when the tree line ended quite suddenly leading into a small canyon.

With the constant rain in the area, the earth was very soft which made it easy to leave tracks. There were horse tracks among several others leading into the canyon, so there was hope.

"Lizalfos in the area," Link said as he observed the other tracks. "Keep your bow ready, we'll pick them off together."

Twilight nodded and took his bow off his back. "Most of the Lizalfos I've seen have armor on so I'm not sure how much use an arrow will be."

Link shrugged. "With your aim, it won't be hard, just shoot them in the eye and the arrow will find their brain."

The off-hand complement was surprising, but Twilight said nothing in case he ruined his companion's good mood. "Alright, I'll take out the ones that are further away and guard your back."

Link waved his hands in a reply that Twilight knew as 'whatever' and continued into the canyon. He hadn't sheath his sword from before so it stood ready now, clean of Lynel blood and twinkling in the light from the setting sun.

Twilight shook his head, still amazed by the fact that the kid had survived on his own this long.

There were several Lizalfos in the area as it turned out; a few scouts that the two men quickly finished off without much fuss. What Twilight wasn't expecting was the camouflaged Lizalfos that that jumped out at him, almost taking him by surprise.

His reflexes were just too fast for them to land a proper hit.

Even though there were horse tracks all over, Twilight was still surprised to find a horse at the end of the trail.

She was grazing peacefully on a small ledge overlooking a strange lake. Her coat was that perfect in-between of red and brown and her mane a beautiful white color. She looked so surreal, flicking her tail happily as she ate, ignoring the two men staring at her.

His heart panged painfully. She looked just like his girl, there was no mistaking that, but it was not his Epona.

Epona would have damn near run him over by now trying to get to him for a hug.

On instinct, he approached, already whistling out the familiar tune of Epona's song. He wasn't expecting her to come running to him but he was happy when she looked up to eye him curiously.

"Hey," he kept his voice calm and steady. "Good girl."

Her ears were turned toward him, listening to the sound of his voice with great interest. She didn't appear scared or even nervous. In fact, she started taking a few steps toward him, snorting pleasantly.

Twilight whistled Epona's song again, trying to stop himself from grinning when she nickered happily. Then, without any hesitation in her step, she trotted over to him and pushed her nose toward him for a sniff.

Twilight happily held up his hand and she placed her nose under his palm, snorting happily.

"Wow, she seems pretty tame."

"I know," Twilight turned his head to grin at Link who looked impressed. "It's my charm, it works for everyone."

Now it was Link's turn to snort. "Right," he signed before pointing up to a large column of stone sticking out of the lake. "There's a shrine up there, so I'll let you two get acquainted while I go explore it."

Twilight moved closer to the mare (who he was no doubt going to call Epona) and pet her lovingly. The two of them watched, scared and just a little concerned as Link glided across the lake and started climbing up the pillar.

Twilight turned to his horse and shook his head. "The kid has a death wish."

She snorted.

* * *

Robbie, Akkala Citadel Ruins, and Vah Rudania are coming up next!


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry for the long wait. I've been having some health issues. If there's any plot holes please let me know, taking long breaks between chapters makes me a bit lost.

Enjoy!

* * *

"It's no wonder we found Epona here," Link said as he landed back down on solid ground. "I'm pretty sure this lake has something to do with the horse goddess."

"Horse goddess?" Twilight flicked his ears back. "You mean in the lake?"

Link folded his glider and put it on his back where he normally kept it. "Not the lake, but the large flowers under the water are the same as the ones in the ponds surrounding the horse goddess."

Twilight wasn't going to ask exactly how his friend managed to meet a horse goddess. As per usual he couldn't tell if the kid was joking or not. "Well, I guess there's a correlation then." He gave Epona a few loving pets on her neck. "So now we have Epona, where to next?"

Link pulled out his Sheikah Slate and studied it momentarily. "The Akkala Ancient Tech Lab is only a short ride from here. I need to speak with Robbie about some new gear."

"Sounds easy enough," Twilight gestured him to the front of their group. "Lead the way, Magic Map Man."

But instead of doing that, Link marched over to Epona and with no hesitation pulled himself onto her back.

Twilight froze, waiting for Epona to launch the tiny creature off her with her usual gusto. But instead, she merely turned her head to look at the kid and nickered in acknowledgment before turning back to look at him with an expression that said "what?".

Twilight shook his head at the two of them; they deserved each other.

"We can get there quicker if we ride," Link said, bending down to offer a hand. "Come on, you don't want to be stuck here after dark. The bones are piled under the ground of Akkala, and they wake in the night."

Twilight took the offered hand and pulled himself onto Epona's back behind Link. "You're oddly poetic for someone who doesn't talk much," he said.

"Maybe I don't talk much because I'm trying to think of the perfect thing to say," Link replied before clicking his tongue and urging Epona into a walk.

"Yes because puns really brighten everyone's mood."

The kid snickered quietly and Twilight resisted the urge to hit him. He was still embarrassed thanks to their last stop at the stable. Link had talked to the stable hand normally until he started pulling puns out of his ass.

Twilight was not impressed and the woman looked even less so. But Link had laughed himself into a state and Twilight had to apologize before dragging the kid off.

 _"How he doesn't get punched in the face more often I'll never understand."_

Epona moved into an easy canter as she broke through the tree line. Twilight leaned back to enjoy the ride; it felt like forever since he'd been on a horse. It was unpleasant to ride without a saddle, but the free feeling of flying over the grassy slopes more than made up for it.

Link rode much like he did; he gave Epona as much freedom as possible, steering with his legs and leaving his hands free. This made it easier for combat on horseback, but not every horse liked being directed this way.

Luckily Epona looked to be enjoying it very much. She tossed her head and bolted for the hills as she approached them, trying to speed up them like they were a challenge. This unfortunately made Twilight almost fall off and take Link with him.

"Stop letting her do that!" He hissed as she sped up another hill.

"Hold on tighter," Link barked back.

 _"I cannot wait until we're on our own horses."_

They steered clear of a group of Bokoblins on horseback and found themselves back on the path. It was getting really dark now, the sun having finally set over the horizon. Twilight could see lights in the far distance and he assumed there was a stable there.

Link must have had the same thought as he steered Epona toward the lights. She was not the slightest bit tired, not even having carried the two of them at a canter for so long. She nickered happily and continued on the path at a trot, not needing ant further directions.

"Meet me at the stable," was the only thing Link said before jumping off the horse and jogging over to a small cluster of trees.

Twilight made himself more comfortable and watched the kid until he disappeared from sight. He was no doubt going to collect more stuff to hoard in his pockets.

 _"I thought he was the one who said it was dangerous to be wandering in the dark while in Akkala."_

He couldn't babysit the kid all the time, and he knew for a fact that Link would be able to protect himself easily if he were attacked.

A rolling rumble close by told him it was about to start raining again, so Twilight urged Epona back into a canter. He had no desire to be caught in the rain, not when there was already a chill in the air.

As it turned out, Epona could have run at full speed and they still would have ended up drenched.

There was a blinding flash followed by a deafening crash as the storm gained momentum. Twilight cursed as the sky split open into a torrential downpour that soaked him in seconds.

"Fuck, I might as well throw myself into a river and swim to the stable!" He yelled over the sound of the pouring rain.

Epona whinnied at that, laughing at her rider and his misery.

By the time they got to the stable, Twilight was soaked and frozen to the bone. The guy running the stable laughed at him before having someone come and collect Epona for him.

Twilight was shaking as he paid for two beds, his teeth clattering.

"I have to ask," the stable owner had to yell as thunder rumbled loud enough to hurt their ears. "That horse looks a lot like the legendary untamable horse that has been seen around here."

"Ye-ye-ah?" Twilight couldn't stop his teeth from chattering. "That's pe-pe-peculiar." He waved at the guy and entered the inside of the stable before he froze to the ground. He didn't waste any time pulling his gear off and piling next to the bed. It was so much warmer inside with the fire going, but he was still wet.

"I have some dry clothes I think might fit you," a young woman said as she approached him and placed the clothes on his bed. "I have a bowl of hot water ready for you in the bathroom as well as a towel so you can get dry."

Twilight smiled gratefully at her. "You see this often I suppose?"

The girl's skin turned pink and she nodded a little too enthusiastically. "You should really look into getting some waterproof clothes."

He had to agree with her there.

Once he was out of is wet clothes and dry he was much more agreeable. He hung his tunic up to dry close to the fire and sat on his bed. He wasn't sure if he should stay awake and wait for Link or just call it a night. It had already been hours since Link disappeared into the night; maybe he would be gone until morning.

Inside the large tent, workers and travelers were already settling down for the night. The thunder still shook the ground every once in a while, but by the sounds of it, the storm was starting to die off.

Twilight looked up as the owner came to the end of the bed and leaned on the post. "I noticed that you were riding your horse without a saddle," he said with a pleasant smile. "Would you like to buy a saddle and bridle for her? I think I have just the one."

"That would be wonderful, thank you."

The man chuckled, "not a problem, you can pay for it in the morning, I—" He turned as the sound of heavy boots stomping into the tent distracted him.

Twilight tried not to laugh as Link stood near the entrance looking absolutely cranky. His clothes were so wet it looked as if he was bringing the rain inside with him.

He couldn't keep the laughter out of his voice, "Are you okay?"

Link didn't look any less cranky but he shrugged. "I think it's cold enough out there to freeze the rain because it hurt like hail."

Twilight groaned and briefly considered suffocating himself in a pillow.

* * *

By the time he opened his eyes in the morning, the sun was well over the horizon.

The rain had stopped (for a few minutes anyway) and Twilight was almost shocked to see the sun. It probably wouldn't last long, but it was still nice to enjoy it while it last.

His companion had taken off at some point in the morning and caught a horse. How the kid did that was still up for debate but Twilight was starting to get used to the surprises that every new day brought.

Back in his warm, dry tunic, Twilight paid for Epona's new saddle and a cloak that was waterproof before meeting Link outside. The kid was feeding apples to his new mare; a dappled gray girl with shiny silver mane and tale. She already had a saddle on was seemed very content to be petted by the small Hylian who was cooing at her.

Epona nickered and Twilight turned to smile at her as she was led over by the girl from last night. She looked so proud to be wearing her new gear, bobbing her head at him before he gave her a pat on the nose. He wasn't sure how, but the saddle she was wearing looked very similar to the one on his Epona back in his own time.

"She's very beautiful," the girl said as he played with a strand of Epona's white mane. The girl must have brushed her; Epona's mane was free of tangles and was silky smooth.

"She knows it too," he said to her with a grin and another thanks.

He tried not to feel too bad as she turned completely red and ran off without another word.

Twilight sighed and he went to join Link who was watching him approach with a curious expression.

'What?' he signed to the kid as he continued to look at him.

Link said 'nothing' with his hands and spoke, "You too, huh?"

Twilight groaned as he pulled himself onto Epona's back. "Let's just go see this 'Robbie' friend of yours. Maybe he'll have something to eat."

Link waited until he was on his horse before saying, "are you hungry enough to 'wolf' your food down?"

"You—"

But Link was laughing too hard to hear all the unpleasant things he wanted to say so Twilight pushed Epona into a canter and left the kid behind in the dust.

He was going to have to set a limit on daily puns.

 _"But at least he's opening up a bit more."_

It was a hard decision, Twilight decided after some thought. Would he rather be stuck in silence all the time or have to listen to puns all the time?

He was far ahead of Link who he could hear galloping behind him trying to catch up. The tech lab was only at the top of the hill so thankfully they didn't have to waste the whole day looking for it.

In fact, it was closer than he thought as he came around a corner and spotted a building there. He could hear something over the sound of Epona's hooves as he came closer to the building. It was familiar; the same clinking and whirring of the monsters that he'd encountered at Hyrule castle.

When he was in his wolf form the things didn't pay much attention to him unless he got too close. He had a feeling that would not be the case this time.

As Twilight passed an outcropping of rocks he heard the thing spot him. His hair stood on end as a bright red beam zoned in on him. He didn't even realize he'd pulled back an arrow until he was shooting the thing in the eye.

Stunned, the monster twitched as if it was malfunctioning. It barely had enough time to regain its senses before Link was there, Master Sword in hand.

The kid pulled to a stop and started hacking away at the blue eye. Then when that part was completely destroyed, he started stabbing the blade under metal plates to cut at whatever was under the shell.

Twilight stopped Epona and circled back around just in case he needed help, but by the time he got there, the thing was already crumbling into a heap of twisted metal.

Link sheathed his sword and began collecting the parts that weren't too destroyed. "I wasn't expecting to see a Guardian here," the kid said as he pocketed what looked like a few screws, "nice shot."

Twilight scoffed at him, "nothing fazes you, does it?"

'Not really,' Link signed before pulling himself back into the saddle.

This time Twilight kept the same pace as Link as they rode for the laboratory. He may have gotten lucky the first time but he didn't want to push it.

The lab was at the top of the hill; it was a run-down looking place. Twilight was surprised to see tons of the 'Guardians' lying about, some even piled high in a pit.

"I lit the torches last night, so now we don't have to go through all that," Link said as he dismounted. "I knew he was going to ask so I figured I'd get it over with first."

Twilight also dismounted and gave him a look. "Assuming I know what you're talking about, how did you light torches in the rain?"

Link blinked slowly at him, the way he always did when he was trying to process a question before answering. "I kept the torch dry under my cloak."

A reasonable answer.

"Well, how did you light the other torches? Wouldn't they be wet?" Twilight asked.

"I'm pretty sure they're magic because they don't go out, even in the rain," Link said quickly. He was giving Twilight a look that said 'drop it please'.

Twilight couldn't help it though. "So you lit magically torches in the middle of the night in a thunderstorm?"

"Well, I had to clear out the monsters first."

"Monsters?" Twilight shook his head in disbelief. Maybe the kid still had a few surprises left. "You are something else, you know that, right?"

'Whatever' Link signed along with some other choice words that Twilight knew were unpleasant.

Link made sure the horses were settled before entering the lab with Twilight following close behind. The building was empty, save for a blue glowing thing in the middle of the room.

They both approached it and the thing started talking like mad. Most of it didn't make sense to Twilight but he caught the words 'familiar name' and 'Cherry'.

"Who exactly are you two?"

Both warriors swerved, Twilight already reaching for his sword.

But the man standing behind them was small and old, not a threat to either of them.

He looked very pissed off, however.

"You can't just walk into someone's home and expect a warm welcome." The old man grumbled and crossed his arms over his chest.

He was so distracting that Twilight almost didn't notice the blonde woman standing off to the side behind him. He wasn't sure how two people had snuck up on him when his hearing was so good.

"Unless you are Link the Champion because if you are, I have something to tell him." The old man leaned forward as if taking a closer look. "But why would you be? There weren't two Hylian Champions, so unless one of you have the scars of the Hylian Champion from one hundred years ago, get out."

Link turned to look at Twilight and Twilight shrugged since he had no idea what the old man was talking about.

"So if you see the scars," Link said carefully, "you'll talk to us?"

"That's what I said, isn't it?"

There was a pause before Link shrugged and then started taking off his gear.

"What are you…" Twilight trailed off as the kid started taking off his clothes. He was slightly concerned by how nonchalant the kid was with getting naked in front of an old man.

Once Link was in nothing but his shorts, the old man came closer to inspect.

Twilight resisted the urge to pummel the old guy, as he could see the scars from where he was standing just fine. There was no reason to get so close, but Link just stood there, unbothered.

"Hmmm…yes, the number of scars you carry. I remember them quite well; you were a mess when we brought you to the resurrection chamber." He backed away thankfully to give Link room to dress again.

"I'm the lead Guardian researcher and director of the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab… Doctor…Robbie!"

The guy did some kind of pose and Link paused halfway through putting his pants on the give the guy a weird look.

Twilight gritted his teeth and tried not to look too irritated. The man was old so maybe he was such a character because he was senile.

"I'm surprised you made it all the way out here," Robbie continued. "I suppose Purah sent you?"

Link nodded, still struggling to get dressed as the old man wouldn't shut up.

"Good, the purpose of this Sheikah research lab is simple. We aim to destroy the calamity and rid Hyrule of evil and recue Princess Zelda."

Twilight wondered briefly who the 'we' the old man was referring to since there were only him and the blonde woman who'd wandered off to read a book. They weren't exactly a large army.

As Robbie continued to ramble and Link finally got redressed, it hit him that this person knew Link from one hundred years ago. Not that the old guy looked any younger than one hundred, but it was still a baffling thought; he could only imagine how Link felt.

And Robbie had also said that this place was a 'Sheikah Lab', which meant he was probably a Sheikah.

The Sheikah who had once been the Twili, which meant that Midna possibly…came back after he left. How they did that with a broken mirror was still a mystery; a mystery that might be better explained by Zelda.

If they could rescue the Princess before Robbie talk them both to death.

Twilight only clued back into the conversation when Robbie handed him some weird looking arrows. Link looked very happy, so he assumed it was actually a good thing to make a stop here.

Apparently, as Twilight discovered, with Link having lit the torches, he was now able to get some new gear from the glowing blue thing. This new gear was really strong for fighting off those Guardians, so it would make their lives convenient in the long run.

While Link loaded up a quiver full of the new arrows, Robbie came over to talk to him.

"So why do you look so much like the legendary Hero?" The old man chuckled, "do you idolize him that much?"

Not wanting to make nice with the possible pervert, Twilight said, "No I'm the grandchild of his bastard child from one hundred years ago."

This shocked both Robbie and the woman as they gasped loudly and Link shot him a glare that would kill him if it were forged into a weapon.

'Go wait outside', Link signed to him.

 _"Outside sounds better than in here."_

He left the lab and stepped into the colder outdoor air. Somehow it had already managed to cloud over and he could smell rain on the way again. Akkala was downright impossible to figure out.

He went to Epona and gave her a pat before ruffling through Link's saddlebags for an apple. Once he had one in hand and had managed to dodge both horses, he found a quiet spot to sit further down the hill to eat.

A light drizzle had already started to dampen the air before he was completely done his apple. Not wanting to get wet again he pulled his hood down and held his new cloak tight around him.

 _"I'm not sure how waterproof it is but as long as it keeps me even slightly dry."_

A rustling by the trees made his ears flick. He could spot something moving by the bushes; it was big and dark.

"You don't have to be nervous, come out so I can see you," Twilight called to it.

There was a soft growl in response before a black muzzle poked out through the bushes. It was a wolf, a big one. Twilight held out his hand and the creature carefully walked over, its nose twitching as it learned his scent.

"Now don't go causing trouble for people on that path. They have enough out there wanting to kill them without you guys hunting them down." He gave the wolf a generous ruffle before shooing it away.

Like a ghost, the wolf left and disappeared into the forest and down the hill.

"Twi?"

Twilight threw his apple core into the bushes and met Link on the path. "Did you get what you needed?" He asked the smaller man who was eyeing him suspiciously.

"Yes…" Link looked behind him toward the woods; he must have heard Twilight talking to the wolf. "I have something for you," he said as he handed him a quiver full of arrows. "They're Ancient Arrows; they'll take a Guardian down in one hit if you get them in the eye."

Twilight pulled an arrow out so he could look at it closely. Somehow, even with the bulk on the tip, it felt no heavier than a normal arrow.

"I also got you an Ancient Bow for when yours breaks," Link gestured to the bow that was on Twilight's back. "And when your sword breaks I have all kind of spares, you get used to switching weapons eventually."

"Hold on…" Twilight buckled the quiver around his waist so he could better focus his attention on the brat. "What do you mean 'when my weapons break'; they're not going to break unless I do something really drastic."

When Link gave him a confused look Twilight returned it.

"Your weapons don't break?" Link finally asked after an awkward pause.

"Do yours?" Twilight replied a bit baffled. "Do your smiths not know how to forge proper weapons?"

Link seemed to finally understand as a look of realization crossed his face. "Oh, your weapons were made by actual smiths, I forgot about that." He pulled the extra sword out of the sheath on his back. "When the Calamity destroyed Castle Town, it took all the best smiths with it. Any smiths that survived were either apprentice or they weren't the best."

He held up the sword for Twilight to see and even an inexperienced eye could tell the steel was weak.

"That mixed with the growing danger and not being able to get out and find proper ore caused what you see here. Blades that break after you use them too long; the bows as well since the trees have traces of Blight in them." He re-sheathed the sword and shrugged. "Guess you don't have to worry though."

"That's kind of awful; no wonder people have such a hard time fighting back monsters. You don't even have proper weapons." Twilight had never felt more grateful for his trusty old Ordon Sword. "Thanks for the arrows though, they'll come in handy."

Link said nothing else, but he did nod in acknowledgment before going back up the hill to get the horses.

Once they were seated and the horses were walking lazily down the hill, Twilight tried to start up the conversation again.

"Do you think Zelda might know more about the Twili?"

Link signed the name 'Zelda' and nodded. "If anyone knows anything about the Twili it would be her; Maybe Impa too."

"The way you talk about her, you sound as though you were friends," Twilight said. "Did you know her well?"

Link's hands stopped and a look of sadness took hold of his features. "I—" He looked away from Twilight and focused on the road ahead. "I think I knew her better than anyone else did."

That was surprising. Twilight tried to think of what else to say, he didn't want to upset the other man. "You said you don't have all your memories, is there a chance of getting them back?"

"I've done all I can to try," Link said. "I'm hoping when I rescue Zelda she'll help me. I would like to know my past, even thou I don't think it will make much difference. But at least I would know who I am."

Twilight smiled sadly but he didn't push any further. "You're the Champion of Puns, that's who you are."

Link leaned over so he could smack Twilight, almost falling off his horse in the process.

When they settled back down again, Link started laughing quietly and Twilight shoot him a scared look.

Link grinned at him as if he enjoyed making him uncomfortable. "I think I know what you meant by the Triforce by the way," he said still smiling. "And the reason I don't have a piece is because Zelda has all three."

"All three?" That sounded a bit…dangerous.

"Yeah," Link's smile turned a little darker. "So maybe next time you want to insult her think twice about it. She's in no way 'weak' like you keep mentioning."

 _"Alright, so obviously I hit a sore spot last time."_

"I can't say I've said this before because I'm an antisocial asshole," Twilight said. "But I'm almost curious to meet her, she seems…different."

Pleased with that answer, Link nodded and urged his horse into a trot, ending the conversation.

Twilight shook his head and followed him. He wasn't sure if the kid had brotherly feelings for the princess or something else entirely. Either way, if he wanted to stay on the kid's good side he was going to have to hold back some comments.

Still, he really was interested to meet Zelda.

* * *

"We're climbing that?"

Twilight stood at the end of a broken bridge and looked up at the imposing tower before them.

Not that the huge structure was impossible to climb, but Twilight was pretty sure he could see Guardians 'flying' around. And as much as he liked adventure he'd rather not have to face off a hoard of those flying things.

"I need the tower," Link said with barely a hint of concern in his voice. "I need to complete the map on my Sheikah Slate and see if I can find any shrines while I'm up there."

Twilight noticed his hands moving in half signs while he spoke. The kid said it was a nervous habit so maybe he was…nervous right now? But he wasn't sure if it was from the thought of taking on the Guardians or if he was seeing something from 100 years ago.

 _"If he's nervous then I should be really scared. Maybe I should have stayed at the stable with the horses."_

"Well…if you say you need it then we might as we get it over with." Twilight sighed as he looked down at the ground below. It would not be pretty if he fell and ended up smashed against the rocks. "That guy we saved said this was a fortress of some sort, do you have any memories of it?"

Link's clear blue eyes turned their focus from the tower to look at him. "I think…" He looked very unsure. "I think this is where I came for my training as a knight."

Both men looked back at the fortress. It was beautiful in a terrifying sort of way. It was hard to believe that so many people lost their lives there or that it once used to be a place of happiness. But the evidence of the last battle was overwhelming judging by the number of defeated Guardians and rusted armor and weapons lying about. It looked as though the soldiers could rise from the earth and take up their weapons again at any moment; much like the Redead Knights in his own time.

 _"Dead things…I can handle any monster living, but dead things are where I draw the line."_

He thought back to his battle at the Arbiters Grounds. If Stallord wasn't scary enough, the group of skeletal Hylian soldiers protecting it sure were. That whole place was overtaken by the dead, and Twilight wondered if the dead also rose in this day and age.

 _"The bones are piled under the ground of Akkala…let's hope they don't pop up to say hi while I'm here."_

Twilight sighed and threw himself at the task of getting over to the other side of the broken bridge. He knew Link could easily paraglide over so he wasn't worried about him. He was more worried that he would fall and land on a rusty sword at this point.

The kid must have snapped back to his overly reckless self again as he sailed over him, making a beeline for the first Guardian that stood in their way.

It took him a bit longer than he was hoping to climb down but there weren't many places to hold onto. How Link made it look so easy he'd probably never know. By the time he reached the bottom, the kid had already dealt with the first Guardian and was tossing him a rope to help him climb up faster.

"I totally could have climbed on my own," Twilight said as he pulled himself over the ledge. He was only slightly out of breath.

Link snorted and signed something he didn't catch. "Maybe ten years ago you could have."

"Excuse me?" Twilight growled at the kid but he only got a smile in return.

"Come on, old man, we still have a long way to go." Link gestured to the fortress that now looked much larger being so close to it.

'Whatever', he signed at him before getting to his feet and dusting himself off. "I'll back you up I guess," he said as he pulled out his bow and one of the fancy new arrows. "I'll test these out a bit."

Link shrugged as he always did when he had nothing more to say and he led the way forward.

They took a path that brought them to a dangerous set of steps that went all the way to the top of the fortress. Twilight noted several Bokoblins as well as Guardians ahead. They would have to clear the path to get anywhere.

So Link drew the Master Sword and took care of the first Bokoblin while Twilight shot down the Guardian as it got too close.

The arrow really did work as he hit the buzzing mechanical thing in the eye. One shot and it smashed onto the stairs and then dramatically toppled over the side to fall to the ground far below.

Link watched it go, a look of disappointment on his face. "I was going to loot that…"

Twilight peered over the edge to see the Guardian smashed to bits. "Well feel free to climb down."

That earned him a glare of course and Twilight grinned back.

"The first one to the top is the better hero," was all Link said before running up the stairs like there was a wolf snapping at his heels.

"Hey!" Twilight chased after, not wanting to get left behind. The brat didn't even bother taking out any monsters as he dodged swings from Bokoblins.

He barely dodged one of those swings as the monster flailed trying to get one of the crazy Hylians running past it. Twilight stopped only to punch the creature in the face and it went flying over the cliff to join the Guardian.

Speaking of the Guardians, the kid was not only dodging monsters but also the flying mechanical tyrants. He could hardly believe just how many fucks Link didn't give as he climbed the stairs with the red light pointed right at his back.

Twilight cursed and drew back an ancient arrow, knocking the thing out of the sky before it blasted the hero to the other side of Hyrule.

"You are actually insane!" He cried out as he watched Link roll sideways to avoid another Bokoblin. Either the kid was extremely lucky or extremely stupid.

Three Guardians and a whole cluster of Bokoblins later, both heroes stood at the base of the tower. They were exhausted and Link was bleeding from a gash on his forehead, but they were both alive.

Twilight groaned and fell on his ass, too tired to move and too pissed to talk.

Link knelt in front of him, smiling like the mad-man he was. "Are you hungry?"

"Are you kidding me?" Twilight snapped at him. "That was so stupid, how are we even still alive?"

When Link didn't answer and just continue to sit and smile at him, Twilight gave in. "Yes, I'm hungry now that my soul has returned to my body."

Link snorted loudly and left to go pull a five-course meal out of his ass.

Twilight grumbled and resisted the urge to shoot the kid with an arrow. "You can't always win me over with food you know."

"Yes, I can."

They took their time eating after Link prepared their meal. It was a new type of food Twilight had never tried before; something called hamburgers. It was tasty whatever it was, and his stomach rumbled happily at being filled.

Link had sealed the cut on his forehead with some kind of tonic and was teaching him some more signs as they finished eating.

"Are you going to climb the tower with me?" He asked, signing the question as well as speaking.

"Do I need to?" Twilight glanced up at the tower, his back already aching just by looking at it.

Link shrugged and said, "You don't have to, but the sun is setting and I'll bet that the view will be nice."

"Oh how very romantic, you gaze at the sunset while I lie face down wishing I was dead," Twilight grumbled and took a drink from his water skin.

"Has anyone ever told you you're dramatic?" Link said as he signed the word 'baby' at him.

"I'll climb the damn tower if you think it will be that amazing," Twilight said, hoping the subject would be dropped. "It's probably going to be freezing up there."

Where they were sitting next to the fire and sheltered behind a wall was nice but it would not be the same up in the open air. The fact that it hadn't rained yet was still amazing but he wasn't about to say it out loud; no need to jinx it.

Link pulled one of his pouches open and started digging through it. It took a minute of searching but he finally pulled out a large metal ring with a red stone in it. He handed it to Twilight and gestured for him to put it on his head. "It's a ruby circlet, it will keep you warm."

Twilight observed the metal piece in his hand, trying not to think of how stupid he would look when he put it on. But Link kept gesturing at him to do it so he sighed and took his hat off so he could put it on.

As soon as the metal made contact with his skin, a jolt of heat passed through him. The chill of the Akkala region no longer made his bones ache, in fact, he felt like he was in the humid air of Ordon Forest.

"This is awesome." He put his hat back on, hoping to at least hide it.

"It's very stylish," Link said with a grin. "It looks good on you."

"Shut up."

They packed up their camp and Twilight watched in fascination as Link made a bridge using his Sheikah Slate. The thing must have been magical as it was able to pick up a huge metal slab like it weighed nothing.

"We better hurry if we want to make it to the top for the sunset." Link said as he tied a bandana around his head. "We can camp up there for the night where it's safer, just in case some monsters wander back up here."

Twilight was only slightly distracted by how serious the kid took climbing. "You mean the one Bokoblin that I didn't punch off the stairs?"

"Yeah him," Link started climbing; only pausing once to make sure Twilight was following.

"Oh man, this is going to suck." Twilight put his hands on the cold metal bars and started the climb. "This is really going to suck."

Thankfully there were well-placed ledges all around the tower, so just when he thought he couldn't climb anymore; he was able to take a break. The scar on his back was aching like it always did when he overexerted himself. That made him nervous, as it would be pretty fatal if it acted up while he was so high up.

The sunset was fully underway by the time he managed to drag his ass over the top. The dead and rusted Guardian was the first thing he noticed, as well as just how huge Death Mountain was from their vantage point.

The air was blowing hard enough that Twilight made sure to keep his hand grounded on the ancient stone tower. Link had been right though; the view was absolutely amazing.

He could see the edge of Hyrule where it met the ocean, as well as the streams of lava pouring down Death Mountain. Below the fortress was crumbling in ruin, only brightened by the splashes of orange and red from growing trees.

It made him more homesick than ever.

Link placed his Sheikah Slate into some kind of pedestal and Twilight jumped as the tower jolted and shifted, filling the air with a blue light. He still didn't understand 'technology'; it looked like magic to him. The blue stone above the pedestal lit up with strange wording, the glow looked similar to Twili magic. It dripped something onto the Sheikah slate and Link picked it back up with a pleased look on his face.

"I told you the view—"

Twilight froze as Link stared at him, a look of surprise on his face.

"What?" Twilight swerved around, trying to see exactly what made the kid freeze, but there was nothing behind him.

"There are markings on your face," Link said. He moved forward, trying to get a better look as Twilight grabbed at his face.

"Where?" He could feel nothing different on his skin.

"It's reacting to the glow of the guidance stone," Link held his Sheikah Slate up to Twilight's face. "Move your hand, I'll take a picture."

"Picture?" He moved his hand before Link swatted it away. There was a click as the kid touched something on the slate, and then he was looking at a picture of himself.

"I look like shit." Twilight stared at the picture, trying not to cringe at the sight of the tiara-hat combo on his head. He could see the markings though; they glowed with a silver-gold color, moving from his forehead and down his cheekbones.

"I don't know if it has anything to do with anything," Link said as he took the Slate back and started looking for something. "But the marking looks similar to this rune that just appeared when I registered this tower." He turned the slate back to Twilight to show him. There was indeed a similar marking to the one on his face.

"I have a bad feeling about this…" Twilight said quietly, he didn't trust the look Link was giving him. "Can we not touch that _rune_ thing at least until we know what it does?"

"Come on," Link was looking a little too mischievous. "Where's your sense of adventure?"

"It's back in my own time where I left it."

Link scoffed at him, "My slate has never done anything bad, I'm sure it will be fine." His finger hovered over the rune. "It will probably just turn you into a means of transportation." He pressed the rune.

"No—Wait—!"

Twilight hit the cold stone of the tower as the transformation took hold of him. He knew exactly what the rune did now. His body cracked and groaned as the wolf took over and within seconds it was complete.

He shook, trying to throw off the feeling of his skin crawling.

"Well…."

Twilight looked up at Link, growling quietly.

"You are big enough for me to ride."

 _"Don't even think about it!"_ Twilight snapped at him when he moved to pet him. _"I am not a dog."_

Of course, Link couldn't hear his inner dialog. He avoided the sharp teeth and grabbed Twilight behind both ears, scratching like a man possessed. "Who's a good boy?"

 _"You're going to be a dead boy soon."_ Twilight tried to back away but Link just followed him. He resolved himself to being treated like an animal as Link scratched and petted him; cooing over how cute he was. His wolf form was easily twice the size of the little Hylian, and yes he could easily ride him no doubt. He would probably be no heavier than Midna.

"Well at least we know what it does," Link looked down at him and laughed. "This will definitely come handy in a fight."

 _"I'm so happy for you."_

"Let's see if we can change you back now," Link held up his slate and pressed the same button.

With another jolt, Twilight felt the transformation take over. He landed on his face once he was back to normal, the switch throwing him off balance.

"Ow…"

He lay there, not really wanting to get up. He was tired and the kid was still laughing at him. He was way too old for this.

"We'll be able to see the moon peak over Death Mountain from here," Link changed topic, going back to his routine like his friend had not just turned into a giant wolf. "Are you hungry? I can cook again."

He looked at Twilight who was still groaning on the ground. "Wait, of course you're hungry; you're always hungry. Hoe does pumpkin soup sound?"

Twilight flipped him off.

* * *

It was pitch black out by the time they had both finished their soup and had settled down for the night.

Link used a large blanket out of his pack to make a small tent to shield them from the chilly wind. It also helped shelter the fire so it didn't blow out; overall it was very comfortable for a camp uncomfortably high in the air.

They were continuing his lessons as they normally did. Link was very talkative, and Twilight wasn't sure if it was the excitement of his new rune or the possibility of using him as a horse at some point.

The thought made Twilight instantly annoyed, but as Link pointed out; it would really be fun to freak people out.

"I once rode a bear to a stable and asked if I could register it," Link said with a laugh. "I thought the owner was going to pass out. He looked at me as if I had two heads."

"Honestly two heads would be less scary than the fact that you're just crazy," Twilight replied. He said it in a joking manner of course; he didn't actually think the kid was crazy.

"Could you imagine if I rode a giant wolf there though? They would honestly try to banish me from all the stables." Link took a bite of the jerky he was snacking on. "Nothing will beat the time I rode the Lord of the Mountain to the stable; that was amazing."

Twilight shook his head. "You're a shit, you know that?"

Link shrugged and signed something Twilight didn't understand. "So your friend, Shad…do you miss him?"

Not really sure where the conversation was going, Twilight tread carefully. "I guess, why do you ask?"

Link shrugged and Twilight thought for a second that the kid had lost interest in the conversation. Until he spoke again, "We're pretty similar I think, with both of us out of time, and both of us have lost our friends."

The kid wasn't looking at him as he spoke so Twilight knew the subject must be uncomfortable. "So you do remember some of your friends then?"

Link shrugged again. "I think…I think I remember someone I loved. When I defeated Vah Ruta, she came to me. I know it hurt her to see that I'd lost my memories of course." He picked at the strap on the back of his boot. "I just feel…horrible, I can't remember exactly what I felt for her."

 _"Yikes,"_ Twilight didn't reach out to comfort the kid, knowing that would probably not be received well. _"I can't say I'm in the same boat, I never really had a relationship."_

When the kid said nothing more, Twilight knew he had to say something.

"You avenged her death right?" He tried to sound as comforting as possible. "You saved her people, the Zora. I think she knows, even if you don't."

Link nodded but he said nothing else.

Twilight cursed his inability to be helpful in these situations. He could never say the right thing at the right time. That's why he missed out with Midna, and that's probably why he and Shad had never advanced any further.

Talking about feelings never came naturally to him, neither did trust.

"Shit." Link threw his blanket off and jumped to his feet, covering Twilight in his haste to stand up.

"What?" Twilight fought to get the blanket off. "What's happening?"

A red orb slowly crept out from behind Death Mountain. At first glance, it was hard to tell it was the moon. Twilight's heart started racing the moment he laid eyes on it; whatever it meant, it wasn't good.

"You've never seen a blood moon?" Link gave him a sad look before turning back to the moon. "You're in for a surprise."

As the light from the menacing orb reached them, there was a cry from below. Twilight scrambled over to the edge, noting every monster they'd slain including the Guardians had returned. "What the fuck?"

The monsters must have remembered them; the Bokoblins were starting to climb the tower as the Guardians started drifting higher to reach them. There were a lot of them; even if he and Link tried they couldn't fight them off.

Link wasn't watching the horror scene below; he was already grabbing their things, throwing everything of importance in his bags. "We need to get out of here."

Twilight pulled away from the edge to look at the champion. "How exactly are we going to do that? You'll be fine with your paraglider, I won't be so lucky."

"It should be able to take both our weight." Link was already pulling the flimsy looking contraption off his back. "We can both hold onto it, we only need to get to the stable."

"I don't like the word 'should', should means there's a chance it won't." Twilight looked over the ledge and reminded himself again just how high they were.

"I can't risk attempting to teleport when there's a chance I might leave you here," Link was speaking calmly. "Just hold on to the paraglider and trust me."

 _"Easy for you to say,"_ Twilight had a thousand more reasons why this was not going to work but he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he placed his hands where Link was pointing, and held on like his life depended on it (which it kind of did).

He followed the kid and they both jumped off the tower. Twilight was barely registering that they were falling faster than was safe before the cloth caught a good amount of air and their descent slowed abruptly, almost throwing him off.

"I'll glide us down, follow my movement." Link had to shout over the howling wind.

The monsters climbing the tower were screaming in anger, some chucking rocks at them. The Guardians didn't notice their prey escaping which was lucky. If they did they would have been shot out of the sky.

For a brief moment, Twilight thought they were in the clear. That was until a horrible ripping sound made his heart stop and an arrow shot past their heads.

With no time to even scream, the two men plummeted to the ground. They were past the fortress now, which meant they were much too high to survive a fall. The paraglider swerved left hard, taking them away from the direction of the stable.

But even with a growing hole in the cloth, the paraglider was stopping them from falling too fast.

"Hold on, I'm aiming for the trees."

Twilight nodded even though Link couldn't see the gesture; his stomach was basically in his throat.

Still faster than he was comfortable with, they fell into a group of trees on the ground. Twilight's chest smashed into a large branch and he was ripped from the paraglider. He reached for anything to stop his fall but his hands could grasp nothing and he fell from the tree and landed hard on the ground.

Winded but alive, he lay on his back, trying to get his lungs to take in the air.

He had no idea if Link had survived the fall but he thought he heard someone curse through the ringing in his ears. His vision was blurry and filled with black spots. The only thing he could really make out was the glow from the still red moon.

 _"Did we actually make it or am I dead?"_

He wasn't sure how long he laid there or if he stayed conscious the entire time, but eventually, he was able to suck in a breath and his head stopped spinning. With a pained groan, he sat himself up, rubbing the back of his head and feeling a large welt.

Somewhere in his fall, he'd lost his hat.

A moan close by told him Link was alive.

"That was…really stupid," Twilight said with another groan. "I'm not even sure if I'm in one piece honestly."

He waited for a sarcastic reply but received none.

Twilight turned in the direction he'd heard the moan and his body tensed. It was like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over him.

Right next to him stood rows of soldiers; dead soldiers. They were dressed in Hylian armor that was broken and rusted; some were holding swords and some were barely wearing anything.

They were standing perfectly still like they were in a death parade of some sort. The red moon illuminated them in an eerie red light as they stood still in the silence. They were pointed toward it like they were ready to battle the red monster in the sky.

 _"Do they not notice me?"_

Twilight wanted to move, his instincts were telling him to run. But for some reason, he couldn't make his body move.

The corpses didn't notice his presence; they didn't seem to know he was there.

A warm hand suddenly pressed against his mouth and Twilight actually choked on a yelp. He turned to see Link, alive but injured.

The gash on his head from before was open again and bleeding badly and he was holding his left arm awkwardly. Twilight couldn't tell if it was broken or just bruised.

Link said nothing but he raised a finger to his lips to tell him to be quiet. Then he started signing something slowly, and Twilight could understand the basics of when he was asking.

Link wanted to know if he could walk.

Twilight shrugged, not knowing the answer. He instead tried to move to stand up, hoping his legs would take his weight.

As quietly as possible, Twilight moved onto his feet. Other than a sharp twinge along his ribs, he was in working order.

Link stood with him, holding his good arm out in case Twilight started to fall, but he waved him off. He gestured for Link to lead the way out, desperate to get away from the army of the undead.

The kid nodded and carefully began walking toward a hill past the trees. Both of them tried their best to be silent as they crept away from whatever was happening behind them. The air grew thicker around them and for a moment Twilight thought he might have a punctured lung.

"It's the blood moon," Link whispered. "Keep going."

As they reached the hill they let themselves relax only a little; even if the dead started chasing them they had a good head start.

Up ahead Twilight could spot an enemy camp and he was almost relieved at the thought of having to fight something alive.

"We can sneak past them too, they'll be sleeping." Link was looking toward the dead, a sad look on his face.

"What was that all about?" Twilight asked him in a whisper.

Link looked at him for a moment before turning back to the dead. The blood was still dripping down his face and he wiped it out of his eye. "That place is called the parade grounds, so who knows…maybe the dead gather there, not realizing they're no longer living."

"Does the blood moon bring everything back like that or does this happen every night?" Traveling after dark was starting to sound more dangerous than he imagined.

"It happens with the blood moon, though I'm not sure why." Link sighed and shook his head. "Perhaps they were touched by the blight and that made it possible for the Calamity to control them." He was holding onto his left arm but there was no pain in his expression.

"Come on," Twilight clapped him gently on the shoulder. "Let's get back to the stable and fix that arm."

 _"And get as far away from the dead as possible."_

Link smiled at him. "You know, I can't believe we made it."

Twilight flicked his ears back and growled. "Asshole."

* * *

I just wanted to say I hope everyone likes reading this as much as I love writing it.

I'm not sure about romance right now or if there will be any, but it won't be between the boys haha. I see them both as pan-sexual so if I do have romance, it will happen when I feel it needs too :)

Also I wanted to clear up a comment I had calling Twilight a 'pussy'. This fic was not to make Twilight the savoir of Hyrule; this is Wild's story and he will be in the spotlight.

Twilight is old, tired and his injury was placed to hold him back from running the show (it also mirrors my own disabilities). So I'm sorry if there's disappointment over Twilight's battle skills, but I find it interesting!

With that said, if anyone has any ideas they would like to see written, feel free to share. I have a list started of side-plots, and I'm always willing to try my best to add more in.

Until next time~


	4. Chapter 4

The Blood Moon, Twilight decided, was awful.

It made his body feel heavy like he was being drawn back into a pit of quicksand. For a moment he almost believed he was back in the Arbiter's Grounds, his legs aching from pushing through the cool sand.

Both of them were stumbling by the time they got back to the stable, having almost rolled down the road from exhaustion. They were quick to find beds and Link rifled through his packs until he found a few elixirs to fix them both up.

Twilight didn't realize his ears were ringing until everything else had healed and he was left with only the effects of the Blood Moon.

"Does it eventually stop?" He asked Link, who was sitting on the bed beside him. He was repairing the rip on his paraglider with a needle and thread.

Link looked up from his work to regard him; there was a hint of worry in his eyes. "Just sleep, the feeling will be gone by tomorrow."

Twilight groaned and fell back onto the mattress. He was very tired, exhausted even; but he also felt fuzzy, like his mind was in a haze. It was similar to the fever he had when he was infected by the Blight.

He held up his left hand and stared at it. The bruises he received thanks to his fall were all gone since he drank the elixir. It was still covered in scars from previous fights and it looked very much like his hand, but it felt strange. He moved the fingers, trying to figure out what was wrong; was it even his hand?

"You're acting very strange…"

Twilight turned his head to look at Link who looked very confused. "Huh…how so?" The hand he'd been holding up now fell to the bed and he looked at it, still wondering if that really was his arm.

"You're acting as if you ate a bad batch of mushrooms," Link said. He set his paraglider down and went to Twilight's side; he held a hand to his forehead to check his temperature. It was normal.

The silver markings were still on Twilight's face, but they weren't glowing anymore at least. It made them less noticeable.

"Maybe I shouldn't have given you the elixir with the monster extract in it during the Blood Moon…"

Twilight grinned up at him.

"Especially since you have such a low resistance to the Blight," Link smacked Twilight's hand away when it started going for his face. "The elixir was for pain and to help you sleep but it appears it just made you high."

"I want to feel this good all the time," Twilight slurred happily. The pressure from the Blood Moon and the ringing in his ears were gone now. He felt a lot better like he was floating down a lazy river. Even his back was content with letting him have this moment; he felt like he could sleep for days.

Link watched in cautious amusement as Twilight mumbled something before closing his eyes and falling asleep. He waited long enough to make sure the older man didn't stop breathing before returning to his bed.

"Well, now I know that for next time."

* * *

Twilight was less agreeable the next day.

He woke up sometime after lunch, his body so relaxed it felt like his legs were made out of Chu Jelly. This only made it more difficult to do every simple task, which included everything from using the bathroom to brushing Epona.

Link had again, conveniently disappeared, and he had no idea how long the kid would be gone. His horse was still at the stable so he knew he couldn't be far so that was a good sign.

Not to mention his hat was gone, probably stuck in the tree that cushioned his fall. And he only remembered it was gone after one of the kids at the stable asked him if they could wear his 'princess tiara' and Twilight remembered the ruby circlet was in clear view without his hat.

He briefly thought about launching the thing into the trees just because he was in a foul mood but it looked expensive. So instead he put it in his pack to keep it safe.

That and he didn't want to be without it if they ever had to go somewhere cold again.

So he saddled Epona and Link's unnamed mare and found a spot further down the path away from other people so he could sit and wait.

The horses found a patch of grass to graze on and Twilight leaned back against the tree he was sitting under and sighed. It wasn't raining yet, but it had started to cloud over. Knowing Akkala it would be thundering at any point in time.

"Where did you go, brat."

He was almost asleep again when the sound of something landing next to him startled him awake. He only had a second to compose himself before Link was leaning down over him.

"Boo."

"You didn't scare me," Twilight said a little too quickly.

"Yeah, right," Link said as he shouldered his paraglider. As soon as the contraption was on his back it faded into blue light as it always did.

The Sheikah technology was convenient if nothing else.

"Where were you?" Twilight asked him. He knew for a fact the kid was probably scouring the area to find more items to hoard.

"How did you sleep?" Link asked instead of answering the question.

Twilight glared at him, "how would I know, I don't remember anything past sitting on the bed."

Link chuckled and took a seat on the ground next to him. "That might be for the best, really." He pulled a sandwich from goddesses knows where and handed it to Twilight. "Here, if you're hungry."

"I thought you said you knew I was always hungry," Twilight said sarcastically, but he took the sandwich. He ate quietly, watching Link fiddle with his Sheikah slate. There seemed to be storage space for regular items in the slate well, like mushrooms and berries. There was even a spot for weapons, not that the kid ever used anything other than the Master Sword; he didn't even bother with a shield half the time.

He shook his head and turned his attention back to the horses who were now grooming each other happily. He was halfway through his sandwich Link started talking again.

"I went back to the Parade Grounds," he said easily like he'd just taken a stroll through the park and not a graveyard. "We somehow missed landing on a Hinox that was sleeping there. I guess we really were lucky."

Twilight felt sick at the thought. He could only imagine landing on the giant creature and having it chase them injured through an army of dead soldiers. "You didn't happen to find my damn hat, did you?"

"You don't need the hat; people won't take you seriously if you wear it." Link pulled up the dry grass next to his leg as Twilight narrowed his eyes at him.

"I found it," Link said with his lips forming a smile. "But a Bokoblin found it first and he was wearing it proudly."

"No way."

Link laughed at the look of horror on Twilight's face. "It looked much better on him than it does on you."

"You'd better be joking," Twilight hissed. "That hat once belonged to the Hero of Time."

The fact that he was so serious only made Link laugh harder. Twilight wanted to hit the kid with something.

After he finished laughing, Link pulled his hat out from one of his packs and handed it to him. "I lied, the Hinox was wearing it."

Twilight snatched the hat back and pulled it on. "Fuck off."

That only sent Link into another round of laughter as Twilight flipped him off.

The kid barely waited until he was finished his sandwich before he was motioning for him to hurry up. Twilight was begrudgingly enjoying the talkative mood Link was in so he didn't argue. They mounted their horses and made their way in the direction of Death Mountain where Link would have to take back control of the Divine Beast there.

"How far up the mountain do you think we have to go?" Twilight asked as he eyed the rivers of lava pouring down from the peak. He remembered his time in the Goron Mines well; the unbearable heat, the burns, and blisters, the dizziness from hanging by his feet.

He still had the scars on his left leg from the fiery blast of a Dodongo.

And he had only been in the mines which were not really far up the mountain, so the heat didn't kill him but it came close a few times.

Movement on the side of the mountain caught his eye and he could see the Divine Beast clinging carefully to the side. It didn't look easy to get to.

But Link looked bored as he also caught sight of the mechanical wonder. The thought of having to climb up an active volcano didn't seem to bother him.

Then again, there was not much that would make Link pause and have second thoughts.

"There's a stable at the base of the mountain trail," Link said once the Divine Beast had moved out of sight.

"Good," Twilight said quickly. "I'll stay with the horses and wait for you there."

Link very slowly rolled his eyes at him, like he was being dramatic. "You can stay if you want, but you'll miss out on the fun."

"Fun as in feeling the meat on my bones boiling off?" Twilight scoffed. "How dare I pass up such a fine opportunity to die?"

"That's the spirit," Link said cheerfully. "You'll never feel more alive than when you are close to certain death."

Twilight shook his head and smiled at the bravado of his friend. He couldn't tell if Link was being serious but something told him he was. The kid was obviously having some internal crises that he was trying to hide by showing no fear.

Then again, being brought back from the brink of death and finding everyone you cared about dead would do that to a person.

"Maybe I'll have to… talk to him. There has to be a better way for him to cope other than being reckless and borderline suicidal."

There was one other person who he knew might be able to help Link deal with his pain. Zelda was very much in the same boat as the hero, which meant that she was the most qualified to help him. Either that or they would both drive each other over the edge.

Twilight just hoped it would be the opposite.

Once they were at the stable they boarded the horses and Link purchased some 'Fire Proof Elixirs' from a stable girl there. Twilight was unsure how the elixir would keep his skin from blistering off but he was willing to try anything at this point.

It was dark once they started toward the mountain but the moon was still relatively full. Twilight had no problem seeing with his enhanced vision anyway, but it made it easier for Link.

As usual, Twilight kept to the path as Link worked around him. The kid collected anything that moved, from lizards to bugs.

They must have had a use but Twilight preferred not to think about it; he would rather not hesitate next time he had to drink a potion.

He met a traveler on the path; a very tall woman with long red hair.

At first glance, Twilight could tell she was a warrior. It wasn't the weapons strapped to her person that gave it away, but the way she moved. And her muscles, of course, made her look powerful and a little intimidating.

As soon as she saw him she lit up and Twilight briefly thought about hurling himself into the hot springs to avoid her.

She said something in Gerudo and it hit him that she could be nothing other than a Gerudo. She looked nothing like his friend Telma, the woman who taught him the language and culture of the people whose blood she shared.

This woman was more along the lines of Ganondorf, tall and imposing; not anyone he should mess with.

"Are you going up the mountain?" She asked. Her voice was thick with an exotic accent. "I have to warn you, there's a Guardian walking around up ahead; it would be best to turn back."

Still, a bit tongue-tied, Twilight had to struggle to get words out. "Ahh…thanks, but I think I can find a way past it."

"Really?" She was grinning at him now. "It would be a shame if a small, pretty thing like you ended up blasted into ash."

Twilight laughed nervously and resisted the urge to run back to the stable. "I'll be fine, really."

She looked very pleased by his answer. "You do look like a fine warrior," she spoke softly as she moved a bit closer. "I've been looking for a Voe like you, are you sure you don't want to make camp with me tonight?"

He was used to this kind of treatment of course, but it was different coming from this woman. The tone of her voice made him think she would never let him leave if he went with her. "Honestly, you look like you might break me in half so I—"

The woman laughed and placed her hands on her hips confidently. "You have no idea."

Link chose the perfect time to paraglide into the scene and land quietly next to him. The kid had an apple stuck in his mouth as he tucked the contraption away. He looked up at the Gerudo woman and took a bite, chewing thoughtfully.

She, of course, looked thrilled. "Oh, there are two of you?"

"Oh, my gods."

Twilight grabbed Link by the arm and dragged him with him as he moved around the Gerudo and toward the mountain again. The Guardian was an easy choice when his face was a red as the apple the kid was snacking on.

Once they were far away from the woman Twilight finally stopped and leaned against a tall pillar of rock. "Holy Hylia, she was too much."

Link, who had finished the apple, looked in the direction of the woman who was continuing on toward the stable. He had come in the middle of the conversation but he could guess what they were talking about. "Is she too young for you, old man?"

Twilight was taken off-guard by the question. "What? No, she's just…"

"I'm surprised she talked to you while you're wearing the hat. I know I wouldn't."

"Fuck off," Twilight reached for his hat to protect it. "She didn't care about the hat."

Link grinned at him. "Maybe you should go get her and except her proposal then, you won't have many opportunities looking the way you do."

He had nothing to throw back at him, so he just glared.

"Really, you might learn a thing or two," Link said still grinning. "I know I did."

Now Twilight scoffed at him. "Yeah right, like I believe that," he let go of his hat and crossed his arms. "You can't tell me you have any experience, not when you're oblivious to fish boy's infatuation with you."

When the smile vanished from Link's face Twilight knew he had him. The kid obviously had no idea how 'in love' Prince Sidon was with him.

The comment must have freaked the kid out because he went still like he was rethinking every interaction he had with the Prince.

Twilight grinned as he watched Link's face turned red before he noticed he was being watched and he flipped him off. "Shut the fuck up."

"Oh boy, what are you going to do now? I finally have one up on you." Twilight laughed as that only earned him a more intense glare.

Link pushed past him with his face still red.

The Guardian was something he remembered only as the kid started going for it. The reckless streak tended to come out when Link didn't know how to process something. Twilight cursed and followed after him, trying to stay out of sight.

Once Link was close enough to the Guardian's path he drew his sword, the blade bursting into a blue light. Twilight didn't have time to stop him as Link jumped out of hiding and started hacking off the limbs of the machine.

He barely had time to duck as the Guardian started shooting in panic, the blast coming uncomfortably close to him.

"Okay, I'm really going to have to talk to him about his emotional issues before I end up dead."

The blasts continued, the heat from the blue light coming close enough that he could feel it as it shot past him. He was safe in the spot where he was, but everything else around the surrounding area was blasted apart and lit on fire.

He heard the mechanical screams of the Guardian and the blasting stopped, followed by an explosion that signaled it was dead.

Twilight grumbled out a few curses slumped against the rock he was leaning against. He took a second to catch his breath, knowing that Link would take a few minutes to dig for salvageable parts. But that wasn't the case as Link scrambled around the rock with his eyes wide and scared.

The kid was covered in red dust but he didn't look injured. Twilight stared at him confused as a look of guilt overtook the hero.

"What wrong?" Twilight listened, trying to find out if there was some other danger, but he couldn't hear anything.

"I thought it—" Link still looked like the life had been scared out of him. "I thought it blasted you and—"

"I'm fine," Twilight held out his arms like he had to prove they were still attached. "I knew what you were doing so I took cover."

The panic had left his face but the guilt was still there. "I just saw the light blasting in your direction and then I didn't see you so I thought…" He shook his head and when he looked back at Twilight he was forcing a smile. "I'm sorry, I should have been more careful."

"It's no problem—"

But Link turned abruptly and started back to where the fallen Guardian was scattered.

Twilight didn't miss the stiffness in the kid's posture or the way he flipped his hood up to hide his face. He watched quietly as Link dug through the wreckage to pick out the parts he wanted before motioning at him to follow.

After that, the walk was silent.

Link said nothing even as Twilight tried to start conversations. Every once in a while he would sign something in reply but he didn't once make eye contact.

Twilight quickly went from concerned to angry when the kid purposely pushed him back whenever they came across a Chu Chu or some other monster. He knew why the kid was upset, but being treated like a damsel in distress was starting to grate on his nerves.

So when Link was distracted by a larger group of Chu, he ran ahead to try and get some space between them.

Unfortunately, he ran right into another Guardian that was stalking a large section of the path. The red light immediately targeted him but Twilight ran for it, pulling out an ancient arrow and his bow. He dodged when he heard the beep right before the light blasted at him, rolling to the side and coming to a crouch with the arrow already drawn.

He didn't take a breath before aiming and releasing the arrow. The glowing tip hit the Guardian's blue eye, shattering the glass and killing it in one hit. The machine squirmed a few more times before exploding into pieces and the fight was over.

Twilight stood and put his bow away, admiring his work. The Ancient Arrows were powerful and very useful for someone who didn't have the Master Sword.

He smiled at Link when he finally joined him. The kid was glaring at him but at least he was making eye contact. When Link's hands started moving frantically in sign, Twilight held his hands up to stop him.

"If you want to say something, use words. I'm done with whatever mood you're in."

Link made a sound that was a mix between a growl and a hiss. "You couldn't have been killed, you idiot."

Twilight shrugged. "Oh really?"

"You need to be more careful," Link sheathed the Master Sword and he moved toward the remains of the Guardian to pocket a few parts.

"Look, kid," Twilight stopped him by standing in front of him. "When I die, and I do mean 'when' because it will happen eventually, it's not going to be your fault."

Link said nothing, he wasn't even glaring anymore. His face was expressionless like he had buried every emotion deep inside to hide it away.

"I'm not going to die like your friends," Twilight said carefully. "We're going to work together and save Zelda and Hyrule, and then we'll all live long happy lives unless the heat from the volcano kills us first."

There were a heavy pause and Twilight was scared he really fucked up. Then Link let out a sigh that sounded long and tired. With his emotions back under control, he looked up and smiled before waving him out of the way.

"Ten Rupees says you won't make it to the Divine Beast before you start bleeding out of your eyes."

Twilight laughed and shoved him, almost toppling the smaller man over. "Yeah well, twenty rupees says you'll get thrown into a pit of lava at some point."

Link signed something rude and Twilight laughed.

With the peace restored between them, he felt like he could breathe easier. But it was hard to tell with the air of the volcano suffocating them. He had to give Link his bow to hold onto since he didn't want the wood to catch on fire.

The thought of grabbing the hot metal grip of his sword made him nervous, even though it was wrapped in leather so Link also gave him the Ancient Bow he offered from before. Even in the heat, the material felt cool in his hand, so he knew he would be fine to use it as they went deeper and further up the mountain.

A sign told them they were way past the point of needing the Fire Proof Elixirs. Twilight pulled a bottle out of his pack and started slathering the concoction on his skin. It did help with the heat but he felt like he needed to bathe in it to get true relief.

"What are you doing?"

He turned to look at Link who was just finishing downing a bottle of the stuff.

"What are **you** doing?" Twilight replied. "Doesn't it go on your skin?"

Link looked at the bottle and then at Twilight who was still rubbing it on his face. "How do you figure that? Wouldn't you have to cover your whole body?"

"Ummm…because it's made with fire lizard skin and it's fireproof?" Twilight was now starting to doubt his actions. "Is it working for you?"

"Well, I don't feel as hot anymore." Link starred back down at the bottle and shrugged. "It's not like they left instructions."

Twilight still felt uncomfortably hot so he was starting to think the kid had the right train of thought when he drank it. "Maybe you're like…sweating it out and that's what's making you fireproof?"

"So drink it and see if it works for you too."

Twilight looked up at the tower that he knew Link had to register to the Sheikah Slate. "How about you go get that tower and if you don't die from poisoning by the time you come down I'll drink it."

Link shrugged. "Suit yourself; hopefully your skin doesn't peel off before I get back." He left Twilight on the ground to make the quick trip up the tower.

Twilight watched him go, wiping the sweat from his forehead before the elixir could run down into his eyes. It was hot enough to boil an egg and he was tired from traveling all day. Hopefully, there would be a place for them to rest at Goron City.

The ground under his feet shook lightly and he only panicked a little bit as he shot a look at the peak of the volcano. There was a real fear of an eruption, which would lead to molten rocks being dropped on their heads.

That wasn't something he wanted to experience.

Without having to move slowly for him, Link made it to the top of the tower within ten minutes. The tower turned from orange to blue, the pillars rising up to the sky to send a blue light pulsing across the land.

The sight was still unbelievable to him, and that was just a tower. He was not looking forward to getting up close to a Divine Beast. Vah Ruta had looked scary enough from the docks where he watched it with Sidon.

Link was still alive when he jumped off the tower and paraglided over to him. The kid was barely breaking a sweat and Twilight felt like he was about to melt into a puddle.

"I'll drink the damn elixir," He said to Link before he could open his mouth to speak. He drank the rest of what was left in the bottle and there was a moment of delay before he finally got some relief from the heat.

"Still think I'm mad for drinking it?" Link said as he clapped Twilight on the shoulder. "I think you're just a drama queen."

Twilight, who was still trying not to gag at the taste of the elixir, just swatted him away.

"There is no way that was intended for drinking. What the hell is his stomach made of?"

Link ran ahead to take out some more Chu Chu that was waiting for them and Twilight followed.

The path got rougher from that point. There were several Octorok that had to be taken out with a bomb, as well as more fire Chu. It didn't help that there were bits of hardened but very much on fire pieces of lava lying around. If you didn't step carefully you might end up losing a foot.

They moved into a more narrow area of the path where the walls were a bit higher. If the volcano erupted, they wouldn't have many options for places to hide.

"Oh shit, a Talus!"

"A what?" Twilight watched in horror as a giant red-hot rock shuffled out of the ground and stood over them. The rock monster pulled an arm back and both men jumped to the side to avoid the blow.

Twilight cursed as he almost fell into a pit of lava; there was no way the elixir would protect him if he took a dive in that.

"Whoever makes it to the top of the ledge first doesn't die!" Link called out before pulling out one of his own bows and shooting the Talus with an ice arrow.

The ice knocked the Talus down, freezing it and stunning it so suddenly it fell over.

They took their chance to run.

"Aren't you going to kill it?" Twilight called to Link as they both got to the ledge and started climbing.

"Maybe next time," Link shouted over the sound of crumbling rocks.

The Talus was up and moving again.

Twilight cursed at the heat from the rocks he was climbing up; it was definitely burning his hand but he couldn't help but laugh. They were both insane.

Parts of the rocks were burning and on fire but he quickly picked out a path to the top. As he flung himself over the ledge he heard a crash of something smashing into the place he'd just been climbing. He spared a quick glance to make sure Link was there at the top and still alive before lying back on the ground, all of his energy gone.

"Please tell me," He said between panting breaths. "The other Divine beasts are in climates that are a little less lethal."

"Well…" Link was breathing just as hard. "One is in the desert and one is in the sky."

"Fuck me," Twilight groaned. The desert wouldn't be too bad after dealing with a volcano but freezing to death in the sky didn't sound too fun. He'd done that before.

Link was the first to get back on his feet; he leaned over Twilight and grinned. The kid was filthy, the red dust was stuck to his soaked hair making him look more like a brunette than a blond. He still looked full of energy though, even in the extreme heat.

"You look like shit," he said to Twilight before offering him a hand to help him up.

Twilight took the hand and struggled into a standing position. "You look worse."

Link signed 'asshole' at him and he laughed.

There was a spot to rest across a small bridge not far after that. Twilight was grateful because he was dead on his feet after the encounter with the Talus.

Somehow Link managed to trade some fire lizards for flameproof armor and he gave it to Twilight when he returned to their camping spot.

"You wear it; I'll get one at Goron City." Link pulled him to his feet and Twilight only sighed as it was fastened to him. He was too tired to argue with the kid now.

With the Gorons in the surrounding area, they both felt safe enough to sleep. There were only a few hours before dawn, but it would be enough to go on until the next time they found a place to sleep.

The heat from the hot rocks was almost soothing to Twilight's back as he passed out. The armor made him feel so much better; now he just felt like he was napping in a field on a sunny day…

* * *

In his dreams, he was at Hyrule Castle.

It looked much like it did when he first came through the time gate: Destroyed, broken, diseased.

The darkness in the area made it feel like there would never be happiness there again. There were no signs of new life; no flowers, birds or bugs. Not even the light penetrated the dark clouds above.

He blinked and a woman was standing in front of him.

Her back was to him; her long blonde hair was tangled and matted with mud. Even her white dress was coated in dirt and blood and ripped in places.

Despite all that, she had a glow about her, like she was a burning white flame in amongst the darkness and destruction around her.

A rumbling roar shook the ground and Twilight cried out and reached up to cover his ears. He watched, frozen as red-purple flames of evil gathered from the area around the castle. They formed into the head of a beast and all at once, rushed at the woman standing there.

She calmly raised her hand as the beast crashed down at her like a storm. The glow on the back of her hand formed into the shape of a triangle and bathed the area in a golden glow.

The beast screamed as the light ripped at it. It started backing away and returning to the castle before it was completely destroyed.

Once the evil was gone, the area was silent in a strange calm. Twilight could feel the tension in the area like at any moment it would try to pounce again. The feeling made his hair stand on end.

"You look like a man out of time."

Twilight focused back on the girl. She was facing him now, her green eyes looking at him like he was a strange specimen.

This was Zelda, there was no doubt. But there was something different about her; she gave off a different feel from the princess in his own time.

"Very puny," he said before he could stop himself.

She smiled lightly, but the movement was awkward for her; it was like she was out of practice. "I know heroes are not unaccustomed to having help on their journeys, but I've never heard of a previous hero joining a current one before."

"Don't think too much of it," Twilight said sighing. "These things tend to happen to me. I just kind of expect it."

Zelda smiled again at his words. "Oh come now, you know you're having fun. Admit it."

She was joking with him.

Zelda the Princess of Hyrule was making jokes with him.

She seemed aware of his confusion but she didn't comment on it. "I will try my best to help you after Ganon is defeated. Please, if you can tell Link not to worry. I promise to hold out until he gets here."

"Yes, of course," Twilight replied. He bowed his head slightly out of respect, "I'll tell him to get a move on; we still have three Divine beasts to go."

She laughed this time and he could feel himself slipping back into consciousness.

"Don't hurt yourself. You're not as young as you used to be."

* * *

"Really?!" Twilight shot up and almost smashed his head into Link's face. The kid had been leaning way too close to him again.

"What?" Link backed away to give his friend some space. "Why are you so upset? I was just trying to wake you up nicely."

He knew the kid was biting back a smile.

"Is 'angry' just your default mood?" Link asked him like he couldn't contain himself.

Twilight glared at him, "Look at the two of you, picking on me." He stood and almost fell over thanks to the added awkward weight of the armor he was wearing. "You both call me old and lazy and mock me about my mood."

"What is even happening?" Link looked up at him trying to figure out if Twilight had gotten into the monster extract while he was asleep.

But Twilight didn't answer him; he just grumbled something and fixed the hat on his head.

"Twi?"

"Zelda said hi," he said. And before the kid could get any more concerned he quickly added, "She also said not to worry about her because she can hold Ganon off for as long as you need."

Their conversation was cut short by a huge rumble that started to shake the mountain.

The Gorons at the small camp started ushering everyone to take cover, just in case any rocks came flying their way.

Link found them a place to hide under a small overhang of rock. The mountain was shaking so violently it felt like being on a bucking horse.

It only lasted a few minutes though, and no rocks fell into the camp area.

There was a determined look in Link's eye now as he looked at the path that led to Goron City. "Come on, the city is not far now."

He didn't question Twilight about where and how he saw Zelda, which meant he was probably used to talking to her that way. Twilight didn't say anything else on the matter; the best thing they could do is hurry up and get to the Princess's side.

The armor was a bit heavy but it kept him comfortable. Twilight was just glad he didn't have to drink anymore potion. They jogged up the hill, avoiding a large monster camp and only having to stop twice to take cover from falling rocks with the mountain shook again. Then they were at Goron city and the heat increased tenfold.

"Of course they built it on a lava pit."

It was interesting though. The city was very rough and void of bright colors, but that only made the red and orange of the lava more intense. It reminded him a lot of the Death Mountain back in his time.

"I wonder if it's even the same mountain."

Unfortunately, the metal of the bridges started burning their feet as soon as they set foot on them. They had to run to the clothing store before their boots burst into flames.

"Thank the goddess," Twilight said as he spotted flame armor boots that matched the stuff he was wearing.

Link looked more than excited to get dressed in the armor; the skin on his face was starting to blister. "It looks so cool." He bought the whole set, proudly putting it on and grinning at Twilight.

"You look like a fool," Twilight said. "And the helmet is way too expensive."

"Put it on before your hat catches on fire," Link said. He grabbed another helmet and tried to force it on Twilight's head. "You're going to lose your eyebrows if you don't wear it."

Twilight didn't argue any further; he let Link force the Goron shaped helmet on his head. Once Link was out of his personal space he pulled open his pouch to gather the rest of his rupees; buying the helmet would leave him with nothing but he wanted to keep his eyebrows.

Link swatted his hand away from his pouch. "I got this, trust me." He went to the Goron at the counter who was watching them curiously. It was a quick exchange of rupees and they were done.

"Is your back going to be okay with the weight of the armor?" Link asked him as they left the shop.

The heat before was painful but now with the helmet on, Twilight felt almost cool. "It hasn't bothered me yet." His back was a little sore, but nothing that was close to an attack. "If it gets to be too much I'll let you know, but don't worry."

The kid gave him a look that said 'you better' before they continued through the city.

The elder waved them down before they could go any further and Link went to talk to him. Twilight listened to the conversation, cringing when the old Goron's back cracked painfully and he almost fell over.

It was a feeling he could sympathize with.

They apparently needed the help of the elder to get anywhere near the Divine Beast. Unfortunately, his back was busted and he was waiting for another Goron to bring him medication so he could fight again. Link agreed to go find this Goron and return with the medicine so they could attack the beast together.

The elder thanked them and the two men headed for the area where a young Goron named Yunobo was last seen.

"Did you hear his back crack?" Link asked Twilight once they were far enough away. "If the medication works for him maybe we should try it on you."

"Yeah, I doubt the medication would do anything for damaged nerves and a partially severed spine." Twilight fixed his helmet before it fell off. "Is it just me or is it getting hotter?"

"It's definitely getting hotter," Link sighed. "There's a shrine up ahead that I have to stop at, you can sit inside; it will probably be cooler."

Twilight almost missed the shrine that was across the bridge. The orange blended in with the lava so well he almost didn't see it.

After Link finished registering the shrine and disappeared out of sight, Twilight took a seat on the stone floor inside. It was nice and cool inside, out of the midday sun and protected from the heat of the lava. He was running on only three hours of sleep and he could definitely feel it.

Before he realized it, his head was leaning against the stone wall and he was asleep.

* * *

Link almost stepped on Twilight when he came back up from the inside of the shrine.

He laughed at the state his friend was in; splayed out on his back and snoring loud enough to wake the dead. The heat was working wonders on the older hero; he was sleeping more peacefully than ever.

He was about to kick him to wake him up but he stopped himself. "I'll let him sleep for a while longer; I shouldn't be too long anyway."

Link tiptoed around him and headed toward Darunia Lake to find Yunobo. Twi would be safe in the shrine; nothing would bother him while he slept.

The heat increased steadily as he made his way down to the lake of lava but he was pleased to find that he didn't catch on fire.

At least not yet.

A few Octoroks were the only thing blocking his way to the end of the path. He found a Goron there, watching over some strange metal thing that looked fun to use.

"Don't touch the Boss's stuff, whatever you do." The Goron gave him a stern look, like that would ward him off.

Link signed something quick in reply, knowing he wouldn't catch it anyway.

'Don't touch' usually meant it did something exciting.

So he ignored the warning and started poking at the device, trying to figure out how it worked. It looked like the cannon's surrounding the Akkala Fortress, so he was betting he could figure it out. He could almost hear Twi's voice beside him, telling him not to touch it before he blew himself up.

"Speaking of blowing myself up, it looks like I can fit a bomb in here."

He quickly placed a bomb inside the contraption and detonated it. The bomb blasted itself out of the machine and exploded, taking out a few pesky Lizalfos in the process.

"Niccceeee…"

The Goron from before was running at him, no doubt ready to tell him off for messing with the 'fun machine' so he took off. It was easy to move over the lava using the rocks in the area. He had to take out the Lizalfos with ice arrows to keep them from hitting him into the lake, but overall it was easy.

And every time he got to use one of the bomb blasting cannon his life got even easier.

He figured out how to direct the path of the bomb as well, moving it gave him more target or scored him more treasure. By the time he got to the huge fort in the middle of the lake, he was very efficient at using it.

The fort looked a bit tougher to reach but as Link found out it took only one bomb to completely destroy the thing. With all the enemies in the area gone a hush fell over the lake.

Link's ears twitched as he picked up a faint sound coming from the tallest group of rocks close by. He could hear what sounded like someone calling out, but their voice was muffled. He moved in a bit closer, noting the rocks that were blocking the entrance to a cave.

He had a feeling the young Goron he was looking for was in there.

"Heeeelllppp meee!"

"I'm coming, hold on," Link muttered at the voice as he hit the lever and blasted the rocks that were trapping the Goron. He wasn't sure why the Goron hadn't just punched his way out on his own, but he bit his tongue.

No need to hurt anyone's feelings today.

He glided over to the other side and went to the cave to make sure the Goron hadn't got caught in the blast. His eyes immediately zoned in on something in the back; Yunobo was crouched and cowering there. He was surrounded by a hard orange shell; the sight of it made Link think he'd seen it before.

But like all his memories, it teased just on the edge of his mind; never coming close enough for him to make sense of it.

Now that the danger had passed, Yunobo looked up and quickly panicked at the sight of Link as he stood there. He began running around and shouting, forcing Link to take a few steps back just so he didn't run him over.

When Yunobo finally caught onto the fact that he wasn't about to be eaten, he stopped his rampage and calmed down.

"Actually…now that I've gotten a good look at you, you're a Hylian," Yunobo said awkwardly.

"No shit." Link thought to himself.

"Were you the one who broke through the rocks to recue me, goro?" Yunobo bowed without getting an answer. "Thank you very much, brother. I thought I was a goner."

Once again Link said nothing about Yunobo being able to free himself. With all the various digging weapons lying around he suspected it would have been easy for him to dig out. But Yunobo looked very young, so he probably didn't do it because he was scared.

Yunobo grew on him as they talked a bit more. The young Goron introduce himself and explained what had happened and how he ended up trapped in the cave. When he asked how Link managed to remove the rocks, he told him.

"You used the Boss's cannon?!"

Link grinned up at him and shrugged. "It was pretty fun actually." He didn't bother signing as he spoke; he wasn't sure if Yunobo knew the language. "I seriously need to invest in a portable one."

Yunobo looked skeptical. "You're insane, goro. Those things are crazy hard to use." He thought Link would agree, but the smile on his face never faded so Yunobo had no choice but to return it. "Well, if you say it's easy then I guess I have no choice but to believe you, goro."

There was a brief pause before Yunobo's expression turned to panic again. "Oh no! I forgot the reason why I was here in the first place. I have to get there painkillers to the Boss." He clapped Link hard on the shoulder, almost toppling him. "I have to go but stop by and talk to the Boss when you get back to the city, goro. I'll let him know how you helped me out, brother; he's really good at returning favors."

Link waved goodbye, barely aware of Yunobo leaving. His head was fuzzy again like it was trying to remember something. When Yunobo jostled him he could almost picture a similar situation, but it was with a different Goron.

By the time his head cleared he was alone and it was way past time to get back to his friend.

Hopefully, Twi was still passed out and hadn't even noticed he was gone.

* * *

Twilight had in fact been sleeping peacefully.

That was until the sound of multiple explosions woke him up.

He thought at first there was another eruption, but as he waited for the rocks to start falling, nothing happened.

"Why do I have a feeling it has something to do with the brat?"

He waited only long enough to make sure no rocks were about to be dropped on his head before venturing out of the shrine. He quickly followed the booming sound toward the lake, coming across a very pissed off Goron.

"You better hope the Boss doesn't hear about you using his CANNON."

"A Cannon…? Holy fuck why would anyone in their right mind give a cannon to Link."

He didn't have to ask the Goron if it was Link who was the cause of all the commotion. The kid tended to have a similar effect on people wherever he went. They either thought he was mad or they got mad at him.

Another explosion came from across the lake and a whole monster fort crumbled into the lava.

Twilight watched as the kid did his thing, paragliding fearlessly across the lava to get to wherever he was going.

The Goron close by was still cursing the Hylian at length, so Twilight decided to stay as far away from the nearby cannon as possible. He wanted to inspect it but he figured it wouldn't be worth it if he was tossed into the lava by an angry Goron.

There was one last explosion and the area grew quiet after that. Twilight found a rock to sit on and wait; he had no way of getting to Link since he didn't have a paraglider.

And really he didn't feel like sailing over a giant lake full of lava anyway.

It was a while before anything else happened. The angry Goron finally found some rocks to beat the shit out of so Twilight was able to relax a bit more.

He spotted something rolling down one of the rocks; it's speed making it easy for it to jump from rock to rock until it reached the shore.

As it landed and continued rolling toward the City, Twilight realized it was a Goron.

"Link must have found Yunobo." Twilight thought as the Goron sped away, kicking up red dust as he went.

Sure enough, Link emerged from on top of the highest rock not long after. He quickly paraglided over the lake and made it to the other side in record time.

Twilight stood and went to go meet him.

"You're awake," Link stated as he ran to meet Twilight. "How was your nap?"

"What nap?" Twilight asked him. "You mean the one that I was enjoying before the explosions shook me awake?"

Link was so excited about the cannons that he started signing fast, not able to get his words out fast enough.

Twilight only caught so much of it but he gathered Link thought the cannons were amazing. That was obvious by how dramatic his arms moved and how his eyes were bright with wonder. Even with the obscuring helmet on he could tell he was grinning like a fool.

He smiled and shook his head, "of course you would find an extreme joy from blasting things to rubble."

"Yeah, it was great." Link said finally. "Really fantastic, I need to get one of those."

"I don't know about that…" Twilight saw Link going for the nearby cannon and he grabbed his arm to stop him. The Goron that was cursing him out before was still close, and he really didn't want to start a fight. "Come on; let's get back to the city. You said something about getting a gift from the elder?"

"A favor actually," Link said with a grin. "You're catching on. I signed that really fast."

Twilight tried to brush off the compliment as usual, but he did smile. "Do you think they'll help us get to the Divine Beast?"

"I think they're going to try and get to it themselves, but we're going to help them," Link replied. "I need to get to it either way, but it would make it easier if they helped. They've been fighting with Vah Rudania for the past one hundred years so they know a lot more about it."

They made good time getting back to the City.

Now that Twilight was a bit more rested he found the heat less painful to deal with. Link was in a weird mood that he was trying to figure out. The kid was borderline manic with happiness, and Twilight couldn't figure out why.

Either he really got a kick out of blowing things up or there was something bothering him.

He knew he had to talk to him, but they had to focus on getting to the Divine Beast first. Once they were back on the road headed for the next one, Twilight was going to talk to him.

The elder, whose name they found out was Bludo, spotted them as soon as they returned.

"Ah! It's the tiny traveler and his friend!"

Twilight had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing at the look on Link's face.

"Yunobo told me what happened! Thank you for saving him, goro." Bludo grinned at the two of them. "I have a reward for your help; I think these will come in handy for you, brother." He handed Link a couple of Flame Proof Elixirs and pet Link on the head gently like he would a dog.

Twilight took the elixirs from the kid before he did something rude.

"Well," Bludo pumped his fist in the air. "I took the painkillers so I guess it's time to go pay Vah Rudania a visit. I don't want to disrespect Yunobo since he's Daruk's legacy and all, but if I'm not there to help…"

"Daruk…?"

Link's voice was so quiet Twilight wasn't sure if the old Goron heard him.

"Yeah, Daruk!" Bludo pointed up to a group of huge rock carving behind him. "He was the Goron Champion; he's the statue up there at the top!"

Bludo continued to talk about Daruk and how Yunobo was his descendant, but Twilight barely paid him any attention. Link had frozen on the spot, his eyes wide as he stared up at the statue.

Twilight tried to get his attention by putting a hand on his shoulder and shaking him, but the kid didn't even blink.

"Kid?" Twilight shook him again, trying to draw him out of the trance he was in. It was like Link wasn't even there; his eyes were glazed over like he was daydreaming.

Then suddenly he let out a breath and the stiffness from his body disappeared. Link shook his head before taking his helmet off so he could rub his temples.

Bludo watched the whole exchange quietly before saying, "is he okay?"

"I'm fine," Link put the helmet away in his pouch and swapped it out for his hood. "The helmet was just starting to hurt my head."

"You Hylians are strange," Bludo said bluntly. "Anyway, like I was saying…Yunobo is a descendant of the great Daruk, that's why even a slacker like him can use Daruk's protection. We fire him at the Divine Beast and chase it away from the city."

"You blast…the kid at the Rudania?" Twilight asked skeptically.

"We have no choice," Bludo said stubbornly. "Normal cannonballs don't work!" The old Goron pumped his arm again. "Anyway, I better go meet up with him, goro. With my back feeling better we have to get back to the grind!"

Bludo moved a little too fast and his back cracked loud enough Twilight felt it in his teeth.

"Are you…okay?" Link asked.

"Owwww…" Bludo groaned in pain and bent forward, barely able to hold himself up. "Oh, I'm just peachy. Dumb, tiny traveler…of course, I'm NOT OKAY."

Again Twilight had to keep himself from laughing. Link looked absolutely murderous now.

"I guess I'm not going anywhere today," Bludo said with another groan. "I hate to ask, but can you guys go tell Yunobo we'll have to try again tomorrow? He should be waiting next to Eldin Bridge."

"Not a problem," Link said. His voice sounded strained like he was trying way too hard to be friendly.

Twilight snickered and Link shot him a glare.

Before Bludo could make any more requests, Twilight pulled Link away before someone ended up dead. He was starting to think his bad attitude was rubbing off on the kid.

"Do you have any idea where Eldin Bridge is?" Twilight asked him once he was sure Link had cooled off enough.

Link pulled out his Sheikah Slate and started fiddling with it. They left the front gates of the city and Link held the Slate up to Twilight's face to show him. "I guess we could go on the cart rails that are marked here, but it's probably just easier to climb."

"Great," Twilight said as he peered up at the large stone arch overhead and the rails that ran beside it. "Are you sure it wouldn't be easier to just take the rails?" He pointed to the pit of lava that was far below. "I pretty much suck at climbing and I don't feel like falling to my death today."

"Well I have a better idea honestly," Link said while smiling wickedly at his friend.

"I'm not going to like this idea, am I?" Twilight didn't trust the kid at all, not when he was grinning at him like that.

"I guess we'll see," Link said as he poked around on his Slate. "I've been waiting to try this out for a while now. I kind of want to see what happens when we're in a climate like this."

Twilight was starting to understand where this conversation was going. "If I light on fire…"

"I doubt you will be," Link was still smiling. "Or at least I hope you won't."

As soon as the rune activated, Twilight felt the change take place. He cursed as he was thrown on all fours, his body quickly taking the form of a wolf. This change felt different from the Twilight magic that Midna used on him, it was less brutal and it didn't hurt as much.

And as he found out, there was some form of magic protecting him from the heat. He didn't go up in flames, although the ground did feel a little hot.

"There's a timer here on my screen," Link said. "There's a ten-minute time limit on your resistance to the heat it says."

"Great, well at least I didn't die."

"We won't need the full ten minutes," Link pointed to the top of the cliff in front of them. "We just need to get up to the top."

Twilight wished Link could hear his internal dialog.

"You just wanted to ride on my back, you little shit."

The climb would be easy in his wolf form of course; he had done harder climbs with Midna.

"It would have been easier to just take the damn rails."

He stayed still as Link hopped on his back. It occurred to him that his back wasn't hurting at all, which was a relief because now was not the time for it to seize up. Link barely weighed anything, but as he was ruffled roughly between the ears he knew this wasn't going to be a reoccurring thing.

Link laughed when he snapped at him, coming close to biting one of his fingers off. The kid didn't care of course; he just ruffled his fur again.

"I'm ready whenever you are."

"Just you wait. You'll be taking a swim in the lava if I have anything to say about it."

He barked loudly in warning before launching himself to the first ledge. Amazingly, Link didn't fall off. He did, however, let out an excited 'whoo!' as they made another jump.

It took barely any time to reach the top. This wolf form was definitely different from his previous one. It felt like he was bursting at the seams with energy. He felt like he was eighteen again and in top condition.

Link gave him a pat on the head once he got off. "Good boy," he said laughing as Twilight snarled at him. Then he took out the Sheikah Slate and changed him back into his Hylian form.

"How was that?" Link asked with a grin.

"Fuck off."

They followed the rails down the path, taking out some more fire Chu Chu that got in the way. There was a hot spring ahead and Twilight couldn't wait to get some of the red dust off that was stuck to him.

A few Gorons were in the spring when they got there and Link greeted them before they found a section for themselves to get cleaned up.

Twilight groaned as he took the helmet off. It was great for keeping the heat away but he felt like he couldn't breathe with it on. The air wasn't too hot up higher, and there was a nice breeze moving through the area.

He put the helmet way in his pouch for now but he didn't bother putting his hat back on; it was too hot.

Link was practically dunking his whole head in the water, trying to get the dust off. Twilight watched in amusement as the kid's hair turned from red-brown back to blond again.

"Better?" He asked him as Link pulled his hair back to tie it up again.

"You're just as bad," Link said while gesturing at his head.

Twilight sighed and bent down and began trying to clean his hair out. The red dust had congealed into mud and it was almost rock solid as he tried to get it out. He could not wait to get a proper bath once this was all over with.

"So what happened back there when we were talking to Bludo?" He asked Link as the kid was midway through a drink of water.

Link slowly lowered his canteen, he looked nervous. "What do you mean?"

"I mean when you looked up Daruk's statue and froze like one yourself." Twilight also pulled out his water canteen so he could wet his parched throat. "You looked as if you had seen a ghost."

"Oh, that…" Link shrugged. "It happens sometimes when I remember something. I don't know what triggers it but I've regained some of my memories when I see something that's familiar."

Twilight felt a great sympathy for the kid, he couldn't imagine what that was like. "Was it…a good memory at least?"

Another shrug. "It was okay," Link said quietly. "It's more confusing than anything. I've seen a couple memories like that, but I still can't make sense of them. It's hard when you see people who you know are supposed to be your friends, but you can't feel anything for them."

"I'm sure you'll figure it out," Twilight said, placing a hand gently on Link's slender shoulder. "Once you have all the pieces I'm sure it will be easier to put it all together."

Link didn't look too sure but he smiled at Twilight anyway. "Thanks, Twi, your wisdom is appreciated."

"Stop making me sound so fucking old," Twilight snapped back playfully. "But really you could use a little wisdom in that reckless head of yours."

"I've made it this far."

Twilight scoffed at him, "you're just lucky." He stood up and offered and hand to Link. "Come on, let's go take out this Divine Beast so I can sleep for a week."

"You're so old," Link laughed and took the hand. "Haven't you had enough sleep to last you a few more days?"

"We can all run on three hours of sleep like you, kid."

They bickered down the path until they ran into a few more monsters. It was easy to take them out together, Link taking most of the monster down with the Master Sword and Twilight assisting him with his bow.

Link stopped to mark a Shrine to return to later; they didn't have the extra time as Yunobo was waiting. And plus the path was riddled with monsters, so they were both worried for the Goron.

Their worries were proven true as they found Yunobo being held down by two Moblins. Thankfully he had his shield up, so there was no way for him to get hurt but he was making no move to fight back.

Link was quickly distracted by one Moblin and the other one started running for Twilight. There was no way he had enough time to take it out with arrows; its hide was too thick to kill it before it reached him.

"Damn it."

He unsheathed his sword and shield and blocked the Moblin's attack, its blade glancing off his shield and the force of it pushing him back. The best was strong, but Twilight was faster. Just as the Moblin took another swing at him, Twilight rolled to the side and then rolled again until he was behind the monster.

He jumped up, slicing a deep gash up its back, severing its spine easily. As the Moblin dropped to its knees, Twilight plunged his blade into the Moblin's heart, killing it.

"Oh gods, that hurt a little."

His back didn't give out but it wasn't happy with being twisted around.

"What the hell was that?"

Twilight looked at Link who was glaring at him in anger. Even Yunobo was looking at him like he had two heads.

"What was what?"

Link gestured at him and then his sword. The kid was lost for words but Twilight could understand through the dramatic hand movements.

"I did tell you I was a pretty decent swordsman once upon a time, right?" Twilight tried not to laugh as Link continued to glare. "I was trained by the Hero of Time; I do have some good moves." He flicked the blood off his blade and sheathed it again.

"So cool…" Yunobo murmured. "You're like…really cool."

Link didn't look as impressed. "I'm stealing that move," he declared before turning his attention to the cannon.


End file.
